Meshuggah – ‘The Violent Sleep Of Reason’ [Review]
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Meshuggah’s entire discography can be summed up in one word: Intense. Having birthed the modern prog-metal genre known as djent, the Swedish titans remain one of the heavy music world’s most influential collectives, synonymous with clinically precise grooves and hypercomplex rhythmic structures. The Violent Sleep Of Reason, however, is a little less surgical than before.
By recording The Violent Sleep Of Reason live, Meshuggah have found a new way to get heavier – by giving the production a raw, classic-album vibe. The results sound fresher than much modern metal, which tends to push the digital envelope too far and wind up sapped of soul and vitality. This is Meshuggah at their most…whisper it…organic.
The further I got into The Violent Sleep Of Reason, the more I wondered what so many of Meshuggah’s peers would sound like were they to pursue a similar approach to production. Better, frankly. Normally I prefer Meshuggah in moderation, finding them on the one hand incredible, but on the other often too oppressive to tolerate for the duration of an entire album. This time around, things are very different.
Modern music of all kinds often pushes social awareness to the side, preferring not to question or offer commentary but to shock, awe, and entertain. Meshuggah, on the other hand, have never been afraid to dig into the more disturbing aspects of the world around us. On The Violent Sleep Of Reason, Jens Kidman’s guttural vocals pelt out words both poetic and timely, considering robotic mindlessness, terrorism, and religious extremism in as unique a fashion as ever.
Running to an hour of bowel-rumbling riffs, deep-pocketed grooves, and pure cathartic aggression, this is easily my favourite Meshuggah release since Nothing dropped back in 2002. Given time, The Violent Sleep Of Reason might even overtake that masterpiece.
TMMP RATING: 96% (Essential Listening!)
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