Nothing

I purchased this reissue/re-recording and took the CD and put it in my disc changer along with the original version of "Nothing," and hit random-play, so I could compare the sound of the two versions. Initially (and for the most part I still feel), my impression was that the guitars do sound a lot better ... but the bottom end (drums and bass) have been toned down a bit in the mix on this new version. Sometimes I think the new mix improves the song, but for other tracks I like the orginal mix better. It's almost as if the new mix is clearer, with the re-recorded guitars more clearly defined. But sometimes, I prefer the older, slightly muddier guitar sound, because it makes the groove even trickier to follow. At the end of the day, I can't exactly argue with the thinking of lead guitarist extraordinaire Fredrick Thordendal, who was apparently the band member most responsible for the decision to re-record the guitars. But I'm not sure I'll ever decide once and for all which version is best. On the other hand, the DVD is a great buy for any Meshuggah fan. Yes, some of the live footage borders on seizure-inducing with the rapid edits, but this is Meshuggah after all. The crazy fast paced video suits the crazy music. The performances are all top-notch; not that this band would ever deliver anything but. The music videos are actually not that interesting, but worth having; of course the video for "New Millenium Cyanide Christ" remains the greatest "air-band" video ever. So if you think of this as a good DVD with a cool new mix of a great album, then I'm sure you'll be more than satisfied with your purchase.

SONICS DISC After the maximum velocity of CHAOSPHERE, Meshuggah digs down into its polyrhythmic groove for the slower, heavier NOTHING. I have not heard the 2002 original, so I cannot compare it to this new version with re-recorded guitars and editing by Fredrik Thordendal, but this 2005/2006 version sounds fantastic! The center of the Meshuggah sonic maelstrom is drummer Tomas Haake. Guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Marten Hagstrom with bassist Dick Lovgren make up the front line, and singer Jens Kidman bellows above. This Swedish metal band has a message, if you read the lyrics. They portray a dystopian future already being formed today, and in true metal fashion, without any naivete or sentimentality, make clear the need to fight for a better world. OPTICS DISC I just saw the band in Atlanta last fall with an incredible visual presentation and light show on THE VIOLENT SLEEP OF REASON tour, and the video clips on the DVD here from live performances in Britain in 2005 are nowhere near as good. Also included are several videos, including the one for "Rational Gaze" which apparently got a lot of TV play when the album first came out, with Meshuggah playing Ozzfest and backing Tool on tour. It doesn't do much for me, but some might enjoy it for nostalgic reasons.

Meshuggah is top 5 band for me. Love this album and happy to have it on vinyl. I got the orange color double lp limited to 700 for anyone wondering what color.

A pretty decent release from Meshuggah after the smothering classic Chaosphere. The sound is more grindy and personal, eschewing the grandiose, robotic, and cataclysmic style found on Chaosphere for a real grounded and primal rendition of their sound. The remaster tames the upper ranges of the drumkit--and it sounds a hell of lot better IMO--and the tone of the guitars is also a little different. It's a pretty significant shift to a lower sound, and one that sounds more produced than the other version. And this probably comes down to preference a lot of the time. But both version are worth hearing. The bass on the original is pretty lacking for me to properly enjoy it, though, the guitars and overall sound remain a lot crunchier, just not better at all except for possible a few sections of songs. The original sounds like a band with a fairly mediocre production. The remaster goes for a completely different sound that balances the instruments toward the guitars in a professional session. Hearing the drums is nice, and some people may prefer the hard edge of the upper range there, but it kind of make the sound of the band really tinny and uneven as well because of however they recorded the kit. It did not sound very good on the majority of the record. You will have to decide. I like at least half the record quite a lot and there aren't any real horrible songs on here. Closed Eye Visuals and Stengah are great as well a couple of the others are top notch metal. You just have to remember they went for a completely different sound here.

These guys are unique - every review says that but nobody sounds remotely like Meshuggah. They play riffs rather than melodies, and the drums lead everything, with the hard, compact little chugs playing off the beats. It sounds like it's in odd time signatures, but they almost always accent the down beat so you still have a point of reference, like a dance track. The result is like ska for high strung people, or something... the solos are weird meandering streams of notes that contrast the harshness, sort of Allan Holdsworth style, and the vocalist has the most amazingly hilarious bellow. This is metal for those tired by identical buzzy guitars and rhythmic laziness, and for closet prog nuts. I rate this album very highly.

It’s good to have since I love all types of metal music. I had to have a disc of Messuggah.

I've got Nothing more to say about this masterpiece

Very happy with this purchase. Though not a new album, the music feels fresh still.

Great. Heavy. Prog. Extreme. Whatever, it's Meshuggah.

Música perfectamente ejecutada. Oda a la rítmica agresiva con un sonido apabullante. De lo mejor del grupo; quizás su última gran obra a la espera del nuevo lanzamiento en octubre.

Penso che la grandezza dei Meshuggah, sia ritmica che melodica (ebbene sì, melodica, trovatemi un chitarrista in ambito metal che abbia una potenza e originalità come il sig. Thordendal) ha cominciato a conclamarsi ed a prendere la forma attuale. La prima incisione era terribile ma in questa occasione i Meshuggah hanno riregistrato le parti di chitarra e rimixato il tutto ed il risultato permette di apprezzare compiutamente la grandezza di questo disco che contiene alcuni tra i primi grandi capolavori del gruppo. I soli di chitarra basterebbero a giustificare l'acquisto. Consiglioi l'acquisto a qualunque curioso di musica, anche se odia il metal, i soli di chitarra e la manipolazione ritmica dei Meshuggah sono un patrimonio per la musica intera e vi assicuro che non sono un "metallaro" ma anche in questo genere la sperimentazione ha permesso di trovare nuove forme e modi che meritano una ascolto.

So, Hallo und Guten Abend! Anders als der Erstrezensent möchte ich nicht auf irgendwelche Unstimmigkeiten seitens AMAZON eingehen, denn das hat ja wohl wirklich nichts mit der Musik zu tun und ist fehl am Platz. Wer Meshuggah noch gar nicht kennt, aber keine Angst vor irreparablen Suchterscheinungen hat, sollte sich lieber zuerst mit älteren Werken anfreunden (z.B. DESTROY ERASE IMPROVE von '95). Dies ist wohl das "eingängigste" Werk, was die Schweden veröffentlicht haben. Mit dem 2002 erschienenem Album "Nothing" befand sich diese technisch und musikalisch extrem begabte Truppe mittlerweile schon in ganz anderen kompositorischen und soundtechnischen Gefilden und meilenweit vom konventionellen Metal entfernt. Also Meshuggah für Fortgeschrittene, wenn man so will. Nach der VÖ im September '02 schieden sich die Geister, ein Teil der Fans trauerten um die "alten" Meshuggah, der Andere begrüßte die musikalischen Entwicklungen in Richtung "Monotonie" (welche bei genauem Hinhören gar keine ist!), Schwere, Langsamkeit, die mit dem Album "Chaosphere" schon angedeutet wurden. Dieser Remix des Albums "Nothing" setzt in vielerlei Hinsicht neue Akzente, so daß von einer maximal konsequenten Verwirklichung der Uridee zu sprechen ist! Der Gitarrensound wurde mehr in den Vordergrund gemixt, ist deutlicher, übertönt sogar die Effektbecken des Schlagzeugers, welche bei der Erstfassung sehr präsent abgemixt wurden. Dafür bekam das Schlagzeug von Tomas Haake mehr Wucht und Impact von unten heraus, sprich Bassdrums und Snare wurden fetter gemixt. Die Stimme von Mr. Kidman stellte man endlich an den wohlverdienten Platz, nämlich sehr verständlich und zentriert aus der Mitte des Meshuggah-Klanggewitters. Alles in Einem eine deutliche Aufwertung, welche durch die sehr gute (audiophile?) Klangqualität dem Songmaterial eine unvergleichliche Intensität verleiht! Als Schmankerl befindet sich noch eine DVD on board mit Live-Material (für Leute, die immer noch nicht glauben, daß die Durchgedrehten das Zeugs live spielen können!) und wirren Videoproduktionen (u.A. das legendäre "New Millenium Cyanide Christ" aus dem Bandbus *g*). Jens Kidman glänzt in einer "Delirium Version" von "Rational Gaze" durch seine "leicht" durchgeknallten Entertainer-Fähigkeiten und unterstreicht dadurch seinen Weirdo-Stellenwert in der Band. OK, Leude, zuviel der Worte, EINFACH KAUFEN!

Badass