SINGLE The Abysmal Eye // ARTIST Meshuggah
In utterly pummeling fashion, metal revolutionaries Meshuggah have finally unleashed a first single The Abysmal Eye off their impending ninth full-length Immutable, gifting fiendish riffs, clobbering beats and an absolutely stellar showing from the returning prodigal son Fredrik Thordendal.
With over five years passing since heavy juggernauts Meshuggah released their eighth masterpiece, 2016's The Violent Sleep of Reason, it's needless to say that fans of the Swedish bunch have been long awaiting the day for new material to melt their collective faces off. Renowned and beloved for their legacy behind the explosive djent subgenre, Meshuggah have always managed to bring their A-game since forming all the way back in 1987, and 2022 is no exception as the band sit primed to release their ninth full length Immutable on Friday 1 April, ending last week with a sonic hammer in the form of new single The Abysmal Eye.
Oozing with oscillating textures, The Abysmal Eye thoroughly takes no prisoners as the seasoned Swedes flex their creative might in just under the space of five minutes. But while the expected trappings are all here, aka brawling vocals via Jens Kidman, razor-sharp drums from Tomas Haake and guttural tones aplenty, there's significant levels of tense atmospherics and a welcome yet sharp warmth that injects fresh hues into the well-established Meshuggah M.O. This is undeniably a band packed full of creative invigoration and thematic consternation once more; but one that also effortlessly balances its bludgeoning with spooling elegance.
With constant, heaping praise for their inventive and explosive ways for more than three decades at this stage in the story, it's little wonder that Meshuggah's first single in years is a stone cold masterpiece. But if the beautiful calamity that lies in wait on The Abysmal Eye isn't enough to get your motor running, the pièce de résistance is without a doubt the triumphant return of lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal after a four year absence with the band - and Thordendal's supernatural guitar solo coupled with a monster outro riff alongside fellow axe-man Mårten Hagström will strip the paint two towns over and then some. There's certainly nothing abysmal to see here, and all eyes are now entirely fixed on the countdown to April 1.
MESHUGGAH WILL RELEASE THEIR NINTH STUDIO ALBUM IMMUTABLE VIA ATOMIC FIRE ON FRIDAY 1 APRIL. PRE-ORDERS ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW HERE & YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE ABYSMAL EYE BELOW.
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BY TIANA SPETER