Meshuggah / Nicole

The last time Meshuggah played in Nosturi was in 2003, so basically 10 years ago. Finnish fans just couldn´t wait to see the Swedish band playing in a club the capital again, so unsurprisingly the Swedes face a sold-out venue.

But before the headliners hit the stage, let´s wait and see what the Finns Nicole have to offer. I´m not so much familiar with this band. The few songs I know are good, so I take the opportunity to get to know their music better. The Finns play mainly new songs, so I cannot hear any of those I knew… but it´s okay since all songs are very decent. The band is really motivated and obviously glad to open for the mighty Meshuggah, and furiously execute their songs in front of a receptive crowd. Nicole give a good performance with some pretty kick ass songs. Unfortunately I can´t tell more, since I don´t know so much about the band.

After a twenty-minute break, the lights are turned off, the curtains open and it´s time to welcome the “djent” Swedish band.
Indeed a Meshuggah show is much more than a gig, it´s a real experience. The crowd is mesmerized both musically and visually. Such musical complexity and technicality is so impressive, and you can´t help being filled with admiration. Each musician has reached the highest level of technicality – it´s even puzzling to see them mastering it in front of you. Fredrik Thordendal ( guitar) executes a flawless performance, Tomas Haake is shining behind his drum kit. Everything was executed so precisely and flawlessly that I even wondered at some point, if the band was really playing live… of course they were, but hearing a slight mistake would have made the whole thing sound more natural, you know… But let´s not blame the band for executing such a perfect performance. Still you can´t help asking yourself if those guys are human beings? Songs like “New Millenium Cyanide Christ” must be so challenging to record that it´s almost unbelievable to see those executed live so smoothly. Despite its high precision, the performance remains also very strong and powerful. It´s not just about playing very technically, something is also happening. The Swedes manage to convey a heavy and dark atmosphere, carrying strength and brutality. The performance is very intense. Even if the musicians don´t move much during the show, they´re still very dynamic and energetic.

Although singer Jens Kidman is apparently still a bit sick tonight, he doesn´t show any sign of weakness and performs as usual: he sounds incredible and his stage presence is very impressive. You could hardly notice he was still sick. He doesn´t waste time talking to the audience between the songs. The evil look in his eyes is more vivid than ever, and his vocals couldn´t sound better.

I guess the show reached its climax when the infamous song “Bleed” was executed. To me, the song is definitely one of the best the Swedes have ever composed, and performed live it is something. I´m glad I could witness the the same power and strength the song conveys. And seeing how the audience reacts to that song, many share probably my opinion about “Bleed”.

The venue is completely packed, and the audience is getting crazy both in the pit and on the balcony. I had rarely seen Nosturi in such a chaotic state, but this is good because this is what you should get for a Meshuggah show !

Needless to mention once again that Meshuggah reaches perfection in terms of sound. Being able to hear each riffs so clearly is so enjoyable, especially for this kind of music. Everything just sounds crystal clear : each notes are clearly audible and there´s no need to concentrate to recognize the songs. Eventually, the light show contributes a lot to the visual experience.

Meshuggah destroyed the place this evening, and the once again proved their reputation is well deserved. Thanks guys for giving us the opportunity to attend such a memorable show !

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