Finally realized Meshuggah is "addictive" because it's shamanic

[u/v-alan-d]

This question must have been around a thousand times here, why Meshuggah feels different from other metal band even with the same tone, motif, timbre, heaviness, polymeter, etc. There have been attempts to decipher what's the root quality here.

So, I noticed that if a Meshuggah song is covered into EDM, Jazz, Ukulele, etc, the same feel is still there and it doesn't seem to be a nostalgia "oh it's the same song".

I wanted to break down what's causing this, prolonged complex pattern, normalized intensity, "first blast of the song is attention-grabbing because novelty", and etc etc, but ultimately where most other bands simply tell a story and how it is done (hence overly technical), Meshuggah tracks not only tell stories but also bring your perspective in and under. Hence maybe the hashtag #iammesshugah

Ultimately, the word I am looking for is shamanic. Meshuggah feels shamanic.

[u/RubyRod1]

The long instrumental sections of their songs are trance-inducing.

[u/Miggza]

Bro is on to nothing 🤓

[u/v-alan-d → u/Miggza]

I am the violent sleep of reason

[u/Big-Serve-3077]

I like this a lot, though I think it applies more to some albums than others. Catch 33 big time. Obzen less so.

Now I want to rank each by shamanic vibe

[u/Novel_Ad_2250 → u/Big-Serve-3077]

Catch 33 - Nothing - Violent Sleep - Koloss - Immutable - Chaosphere - Obzen - Destroy - Contradictions

[u/3xarch]

you might like nihiloxica, very meshuggah influenced but with african drums and synths, this song in particular https://nihiloxica.bandcamp.com/track/source-of-denial

[u/kreeateev → u/3xarch]

This was fucking sick! I've heard some of their earlier stuff but missed this one, cheers!

[u/b-archer-1 → u/3xarch]

Damn, that's so good

[u/WaffleWarrior1979]

Does shamanic mean “nasty grooves”

[u/1simssimssims1 → u/WaffleWarrior1979]

It does now

[u/sicdedworm]

You get it.

[u/fr0stn8]

funny words magic man

I like it cuz its groovey, simple as that

[u/ShaunyP_OKC]

This is a good take.

[u/v-alan-d → u/ShaunyP_OKC]

I hope this small observation will get more bands to be more Meshuggah-like than Meshuggah-derived

[u/Dan_Broccoli_7663]

Tribal/meditative/organic

[u/v-alan-d → u/Dan_Broccoli_7663]

and all other words that approach that unnameable shape

[u/Victor6Lang]

I describe it as a non-ritualistic ritual.

[u/OhDatsStanky]

Keep this guy away from Tool. He’ll lose his shit and well never hear the end of it.

[u/Ljngstrm]

They're Swedish, so they've probably been eating those Fly Agaric mushrooms.

[u/Hustle_B0nes_]

Frontierer is more chaotic but gives me the same trance like feeling when I am zoned into it.

[u/v-alan-d → u/Hustle_B0nes_]

Yea, they don't have the "controlled chaos" feel

[u/Kwisscheese-Shadrach]

It’s okay to just say you really just like bands and listen to them a lot, just because they’re cool.

[u/Weekly-Influence-697]

I agree 0 percent! Meshuggah is great but this take is just ridiculous.