MESHUGGAH

VENUE MGM MUSIC HALL AT FENWAY, BOSTON, MA, USA DATE 09/12/2023 There are plenty who would argue against Meshuggah belonging in the pages of Prog. Their audial wall of metal and rage makes them pretty much impenetrable to those who prefer Soft Machine to Slayer. However, beneath the brutality, the Umeå behemoth have been rewriting the script for heavy, experimental music for nearly 30 years. Since 1995’s landmark Destroy Erase Improve, Meshuggah have contrasted cathartic aggression against wondrous technicality. Drummer Tomas Haake pulls off inhuman polyrhythms while maintaining a simple, heavy backbeat that metalheads can go apeshit to, and guitarists Mårten Hagström and Fredrik Thordendal pioneered their instrument’s push into eight strings. The 20-limbed extreme machine reaffirm their progressive prowess as they headline a packed-out MGM Music Hall in Boston. Broken Cog…