Monday: SikTH - Philistine Philosophies

     If you're a fan of anything in the djenty progressive metal subgenre, and you don't know British band Sikth, it's time for a history lesson. This whole sound is most often attributed to the influence of Meshuggah, but if a second band is ever named as being pivotal to this particular scene, there's a pretty good chance that second band is Sikth.

     You can be forgiven a little bit if, like me, you're less familiar with Sikth than you should be; the band has been broken up since 2008 or so. Or had been broken up, I should perhaps say, as Sikth is back together and crowdfunding a new EP Opacities. Old and new fans alike would do well to check out the single from said EP, heavy groover "Philistine Philosophies", which has everything SikTH is great at: chunky, heavy riff and grooves that are techy without being too over the top; tons (tonnes?) of melody; a dual vocalist assault, of which half will definitely remind newcomers of Korn's Jon Davis at times.

     Like I said, not being a longtime fan of SikTH from back in the day myself, I can't say whether or not "Philistine Philosophies" lives up to my long-held expectations. But being a newer fan of the band, I can safely say that this track is rock solid, and that it bodes well for the rest of Opacities. There's no better time than now to get into these guys, so get a move on!

Monday: Meshuggah - Obzen

     When I want a Metal Monday song, there are a few bands that I can count on as go-to touchstones for straight up heavy. Your belated Monday song for this week comes from one such band. Prepare yourself.

     I've read that the title of Meshuggah's obZen is, among other things, a sorta kinda portmanteau of "zen" and "obscene", and "obscene" is definitely a word I would use when describing my favourite Meshuggah material, as in "obscenely heavy". Longtime readers may by now have noticed my fondness for Meshuggah's sixth album, and while it's not the only one I dig, it is the one that got me into these crazy Swedes, so it's got that special "popped my Meshuggah cherry" place in my heart, y'know?

     So for Metal Monday I'm going with obZen title track "Obzen", a muscular tour de force of angular chugging and aggression. Doesn't it just make you want to mosh someone into the ground? Here's a fun game: next time you're at the office, put on "Obzen" and work your co-workers into a circle pit by the water cooler. If you need help, just show them that video of scenes from The Wolf of Wall Street cut to (you guessed it) Meshuggah so it looks like Leo's headbanging away in perfect time. Everybody will jump right on board after that.

Tuesday: Meshuggah - Do Not Look Down

     Finally, on this last leg of our evening of catching up, I've got something for any of you out there who might be a little miffed that the last two songs weren't metal enough for you. Don't worry, I've got you guys covered too, even if it's not in the form of something underground.

     The metal-minded among you likely are aware that Swedish legends Meshuggah are gearing up to release a live DVD/Blu-Ray packaged entitled The Ophidian Trek. It seems like somebody's trying to whet our collective appetites in preparation, because we've just been handed our first taste of the footage in the form of a video of "Do Not Look Down" from 2012's Koloss.

     If this video is any indication, it looks like The Ophidian Trek will be the perfect substitute for the Meshuggah fan who can't get to a show, or who simply doesn't want to risk life and limb in the pit. Either way, this is as close to being there as you're going to get without going there.

Animals as Leaders - Lippincott

     The Joy of Motion, the latest disc from the instrumental guitar proggers in Animals as Leaders, is chock full of good grooves and riffs, and since the animals themselves recently saw fit to demonstrate some of said riff and grooves for a podcast from the Guitar Center in Holywood, I think it's the perfect time to put one of their tunes before you once again.

     "Lippincott" has a very Meshuggah feel to me, with lots jagged edges and angular riffs. But Animals as Leaders tend to rise above their djenty peers by throwing their own twists and turns into the standard Meshuggah formula, twists like some sweet two-handed tapping and even a little finger picking. We all know Tosin and Javier are incredible guitarists, but seeing some of these techniques, especially the finger picking, used in new and interesting ways in a genre like metal is what sets Animals as Leaders apart.

     Unless of course you think I'm out to lunch. Do you find Animals as Leaders too mainstream? If I really want to hear some new and interesting uses of this technique or that technique, should I be listening to band X, Y or Z? Leave it in a comment!

Meshuggah - The Demon's Name is Surveillance

     Last week I did a Metallica Monday that may or may not have left you with a sour taste in your mouth and a less then Metal start to your week. I aim to rectify the situation this evening with a guaranteed palate cleanser in the form of Meshuggah Monday.

     Your song tonight is "The Demon's Name is Surveillance" from Meshuggah's latest, 2012's Koloss. Waaay back in one of the very first Loud Noises posts ("Koloss Ist Ein Monster") I called this song an "all offence, no defence" kind of song, and I stand by that assessment. It's the perfect level of aggression to propel you into the week ahead, ready to kick some ass.

Ever Forthright - Riot: Part 1

     The djentlemen in Ever Forthright are hard at work on their second LP, but even though it's still a work in progress the band has been kind enough to give us a taste of the new material in "Riot: Part 1".

     Opening up bludgeoning and dissonant, "Riot: Part 1" covers a good deal of angular Meshuggah-type ground before bringing in some big jazzy chords and leadwork near the end that succeed in softening the song's edges only slightly. There's also some decent clean vocals to be had, and some growls that are at times very reminiscent of Randy from Lamb of God. Could be an interesting sophomore disc, don'tchathink?

Song of the Day: Meshuggah - Dancers to a Discordant System

     I've heard Meshuggah categorized a lot of ways. Hell, music people were so at a loss for what to call whatever it is that Meshuggah has spawned that they coined a whole new term for it, the now-infamous "djent". They're a band that can be all over the map over the course of a single album, let alone a single song. But what about -- stay with me here -- industrial?

Song of the Day: Fellsilent - Erase/Begin

     Another day, another teaser for the new Tesseract album that I can't use as a Song of the Day. Soon, my pretties... Anyways, tonight instead of posting more old Tesseract, I'm taking a different tack. I've written about today's band before, but judging from the fact that they've only got a little over 330 likes on their Facebook page I think many of you might not be familiar with them. Sure, they're defunct, but from their ashes Acle Kahney soared pheonix-like on to Tesseract.

Song of the Day: Meshuggah - Pitch Black

     The way I see it, Meshuggah is the kind of band that you're all probably already listening to. Or at least you all say you do, even if you don't actually, because listening to Meshuggah carries with it a certain amount of metal cachet. But even if you do dig Meshuggah for reals, there's still a chance you haven't yet heard that they've just put out a new (free!) EP on Scion AV, the new saviours of modern metal.

Song of the Day: Meshuggah - Bleed

     Does your afternoon require a dose of something super heavy? I've got just the thing for you. I've written about Meshuggah before, and even recommended this very song to you, but maybe you weren't paying or attention. Or maybe you were lazy that day and didn't go do any of your assigned homework. Or maybe you're just new to the party and weren't around like a month and a half, two months ago. Whatever the case may be, today you get to make amends.

     Your song for today is "Bleed" by Meshuggah, off of 2008's obZen. Put it on, turn it up, and be prepared for a sonic assault that I can only describe as "relentless". You've been warned.
(Also, please note that while there is a video for this song, it's an edit rather than the album version, so I've gone with the full on, longer version here.)

Koloss Ist Ein Monster

     Welcome back for another round! Couldn’t resist, could you? Maybe you’re back because last time I promised that next time (ie: this time) would be heavier. Sure, from a certain point of view The Mars Volta are kinda metal, kinda heavy – musically technical and complex, lyrically oblique, vocals like Queen on acid, and they can take a few listens to really get into – but from another point of view, and held up against another kind of band, they’re really not very heavy or metal at all. I wrote about them last time in no small part because they released a new record the week of March 27th, which put them back on my musical radar. Coincidentally, the same week (in North America, anyways) as Noctourniquet was released, another kind of band put out another kind of album as well, both of which are most definitely metal. That band is Meshuggah, and their new album (in case the title of this post didn’t give it away already) is called Koloss.