Meshuggah

Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden. Known for their extremely technical and progressive approach to death metal, they are often known as the pioneers of the ‘Djent’ subgenre, especially with their release of their sophmore album Destroy Erase Improve in 1995. They would eventually become known to a wider audience with the release of their 2008 album Obzen, in part due to the track Bleed, which exploded due to its relentless groove and technicality. Further albums such as 2012’s Koloss, 2016’s The Violent Sleep of Reason, and 2022’s Immutable have continued to improve upon Meshuggah’s core sound in one way or another. They are often cited as one of the most influential bands in heavy metal.

Often esoteric and conceptual, Meshuggah’s lyrics explore a variety of themes, such as existentialism, religion, and society.

Meshuggah’s line-up consists of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992 and bassist Dick Lövgren since 2004.