Band: Meshuggah
Title: Contradictions Collapse + None
Label: Nuclear Blast
Distribution: PIAS
Release date: November 2008
Review: re-release-CD

The Umeå-based band Meshuggah was formed in 1987 and did become one of the most important names within the so-called Post-Thrash-movement. As part of the Reloaded action Nuclear Blast is taking care of (meaning: the re-release of older, difficult to get material from ‘huge’ bands), Meshuggah’s debut album gets re-released now again (because this compilation / re-release had already been released in 1998 too), including some bonus material. The Contradictions Collapse-album was originally recorded in 1991 and comes, unfortunately, with a minor sound quality - especially the drums and bass parts aren’t well mixed. Musically, however, Meshuggah were protagonists in the early years. Their unique approach of technical, slightly Metallica-influenced Thrash Metal with progressive and catchy effects, almost funky bass lines, Crust / Hardcore-chants and -shouts and a few acoustic pieces was pretty refreshing at that time and, in a way, a milestone in the history of Metal. I think it’s the best Meshuggah-effort from the nineties. The bonus-tracks come from the mini-album None, originally released at the very end of 1994, and the total running time of this disc is 78:48 (!) minutes.

--/100

Ivan Tibos.