An Immutable Show with Meshuggah

Meshuggah has sent fans roaring with their latest tour. We joined them in Wheatland’s Hard Rock Live along with White Chapel and In Flames. Keep reading to hear what we had to say about the performance!

White Chapel had a short but effective set list of just six songs. Phil Bozeman, the band’s frontman, commands the stage with a primal intensity, his guttural growls resonating with a raw and untamed energy. The dual guitar assault of Alex Wade and Ben Savage weaves intricate patterns of aggression, while the rhythm section, consisting of bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Alex Rüdinger, forms an unyielding foundation that propels the sonic onslaught forward.

After about a 20 minute break, In Flames took to the stage. The Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad 1990, offered a crowd favorite performance. Playing songs off their new album, Foregone, and classics like “Sounds Of A Playground Fading” and “Come Clarity”. After playing their second song, “Deliver Us”, singer, Anders Fridén, took to the front to let the crowd know, “You are very f*cking quiet for an American crowd”. The audience burst into laughter as they continued their set, the crowd increased in energy with head banging, a larger and more aggressive mosh pit and crowd surfing.

“We wouldn’t be able to do what we do, without you… I’ll take this any f*cking day.”

Anders Fridén

In between songs, Fridén let the crowd know that they are “best friends now” and showed their greatfullness with ending the night with two great songs(and some of my favourites), “I Am Above” and “Take this Life”, they bid farewell and anticipations for Meshuggah to begin commenced.

There’s a sense of exhilaration as the lights dim, and a chant of “Meshuggah” begins swelling in the ears.

The echo of the crowd was harmonized with a low rumble of instruments. Out from the darkness, the band joined the stage, suddenly alit in red and orange. The backlight cut a dramatic silhouette for the band. Behind drummer, Tomas Haake, was a big flag displaying three skulls. The lights flared intensely as they introduce the track “Broken Cog”, from the new album, Immutable. The overall performance of this piece brings together many exciting musical elements. Swells of nuanced ambient sound, and an amazing guitar lead, seem to go with the flow throughout the big staccato riff, which is the centerpiece of the track. Jens Kidman’s vocals growled mercilessly with each syllable. Complementing each song, a backdrop of the image from the new album towers at the back of each of the frontline of musicians, and is strafed with beat catching lightning.

The setlist was a carefully curated journey through Meshuggah’s discography, spanning iconic albums like “The Violent Sleep of Reason”, “None” and “ObZen.” Each song was a masterclass in technicality, with the band seamlessly transitioning between bone-crushing riffs and mind-bending time signatures. The crowd, a sea of headbanging enthusiasts, moved in unison to the relentless onslaught of sound. Aside from the excellent musical overall performance from all the bands, attendees have been thrilled with the aid of the carefully orchestrated visible spectacle. The lighting fixtures layout increased the general enjoy, accentuating the band’s crushing sound with a beat matching superb array of colorful light that heightened the energy within the venue. The combination of superior musicianship, stunning visuals, and an faultless corporation solidified the evening as one of the finest concert studies of all time. Meshuggah set a brand new benchmark for mastery within the heavy metal genre, proving another time that their skills is aware of no bounds.

Stay tuned for more news on Meshuggah! We look forward to what they have to offer next! Get your tickets here while they’re on tour throughout the world.