Meshuggah Albums Ranked
You know you've got something unique on your hands when it takes the rest of the world well over a decade to latch onto your style. Imitation is the highest form of flattery as the old adage goes and for Meshuggah, the imitation came late in the band's career as the "djent" style of metal positively exploded in the 2010s. But long before this term, which the band disowns, came around, the Swedes were on a path uniquely their own, pioneering the polyrhythmic style that is certainly more commonplace today.
It wasn't always a sea of heart-stopping palm mutes and dizzying tempo changes, however. In their earliest days, Meshuggah worshipped Metallica, entering the '90s with the DNA of albums like Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All writhing around their increasingly complex rhythm work. Contradictions Collapse is a bit of the black sheep in the band's catalog with its vice grip on the band's thrash heroes, but it wasn't long before they began to find their sound.
Gradually distancing themselves from thrash and the groove that defined metal in the '90s, Meshuggah's evolution was noticeable with each ensuing album until they finally struck their true sound right after the turn of the millennium. Since the release of Nothing, Meshuggah's sonic brand has essentially stayed the same with each album offering slight bits of new ideas, but never veering far off the road they cleared, paved and traveled along.
With one of the most unique catalogs in the entirety of the metalsphere, ranking Meshuggah's albums was an imposing task. It took some fierce debating (and some amicable name-calling), but we've arrived at our conclusion. Now, turn your attention to the top of the page and scroll through the gallery to see how they all stack up!
Meshuggah's Tomas Haake Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'