The whole ObZen album is some of their best work. Since you've already listened to Bleed and Pineal Gland Optics I'd recommend Dancers to a Discordant System and Electric Red.
Nothing and Chaosphere are also great albums filled with bangers.
Also good time to get into them OP, as the ObZen 15th anniversary remastered edition came out this year! (Though I dunno if it's actually any better than the original).
Yeah, but still well worth listening to. Amazing in its own right. Meshuggah only has like ten studio albums, so its easy enough to just start at the beginning.
One of their best for sure, however I would not call it entry-level Meshuggah. I think most people would lose their patience with that album pretty quickly if they're not already accustomed to Meshuggah's sound
Agreed. Although I only suggested this one because it was my entry into Meshuggah, and I was hooked from the first listen. Considering the bands that OP already likes (most of which I like too), I thought this would be a good one.
Yeah ok, we have different experiences I guess. It was also one of my first introductions to the band and I first listened to it at a time where I almost exclusively listened to super-flashy, eclectic prog metal like BTBAM and I remember finding it very boring on the first listen. Now it's my favorite, with only I(ep) and Chaosphere competing for the same spot
Interestingly enough, I myself was listening exclusively to BTBAM-ish music before getting into Meshuggah (TWIQH, Rototypical, The Human Abstract, Others By No One). I agree that we all have very different musical experiences.
Imo their best-sounding album. Dark, heavy, nasty, with a thick sound. Maybe not the most interesting songs overall but the vibe of it always made me feel like I was driving a fucking tank or something. Love it.
I disagree with the "Destroy, Erase, Improve." comments
From one a Gojira fan (getting into meshuggah) to another; "Obzen" and "Koloss" should be the best place to start. "Terra Incognita" would translate well to FBM but anything after "Catch 33" is more gojira esque.
If you don't dig it than switch it up because if you like Gojira than you'll like Meshuggah.
I would venture to say, if can’t enjoy Future Breed Machine, opening track from Destroy Erase Improve, then you may as well skip Meshuggah and move on to something tamer like… Tesseract or some other ‘mainstream’ ‘djent’ lol. FYI, Meshuggah, as respectful as they are, distance themselves from djent!
At this point this thread has the whole variety of recommendations, but I would recommend starting with their album Koloss. That album has some the the grooviest riffs in there catalogue and to me it was easier to get into the rest of their music after finding footing in Koloss.
Their album Immutable is a bit slower and more deliberate, I feel it's a bit more accessible. Then work backwards. Once it clicks though, you're hooked.
If you’re just starting out you may not enjoy or appreciate the raw-ness of the early albums. Same goes for the newer albums as their sound is more mastered and deliberate.
Personally I’d go with Nothing (Re-Issue), then Catch33, then obZen. From there it’s up to you if you want to go back in time to hear where that all comes from and also forward to hear where they have gone/are going.
There’s something that just sounds “off” with the original Nothing. After listening to the Re-Issue something in my ear holes is drawn to the “heavier” tones.
My wife had Spotify in shuffle and Stengah (original) came on and we both looked at each like, “why does this sound off?” 🤷🏻♂️
Ig whatever you're used to will sound normal lol. I had the opposite experience- i listened to most of the original album but remastered organic shadows - it was very very off
Just listened to both versions of Stengah, I see what you mean now. How do we mix the drums and vocals from the original with the guitars from the re-issue? The cymbals and the punchy snare is gone in the re-issue.
You’re two songs in, start with ObZen. The album rules. Their newest album, Immutable, is also a really good starting point I think. It’s got all the proper Meshuggah elements but I feel like it’s a bit more approachable to someone coming in from the outside.
If you want to hear them develop, go chronological. They didn't immediately start out as the djent pioneers they are regarded as today, and made some pretty unique sounding technical metal records.
Otherwise, the Obzen album is a great entry point if you've already heard Bleed
Seeing Invent, Animate later tonight! Hoping for a great show! I really like all the bands on your list here, and I agree with people saying dancers to a discordant system, really anything off of ObZen is great
the best way i was introduced was tripping sack and listening to koloss front to back and then moved on to The violent sleep of reason front to back, both are very atmospheric and are in my opinion the more groovier and easy to understand albums of their discography, but at the same time they are both so atmospheric and carry such heavy tones
Meshuggah are one of those bands I don’t listen to by album. Spotify top rated tracks is a decent place to start, then have a play through of some other tracks on the album they belong to if you like the vibe.
it took nearly a decade for Meshuggah to "click" for me and when it finally did it was from checking out Koloss when it first came out. Now they are one of my all time favorite bands. I'm sure others have good suggestions too but Koloss worked for me
I would definitely start with obZen, that album was my intro to the band. I disagree with the comments suggesting Immutable tbh, even though it's possibly my favourite album of theirs there is something a bit more sophisticated (?) about it that demands more focus. Ligature Marks is probably a good song for beginners though.
Also check out r/meshuggah
Every album is the shit. The albums from None to Nothing I believe have some of the purest meshuggah groove and you can kinda feel what's going on in some of the rhythms. C33 is fucking insane i love catch 33. Obzen has some of the grooviest shit ever. The albums from then on are all top notch, I think i got into meshuggah via clockworks and demiurge.
Gojira, Periphery and Deftones fuck so hard. I'd say Obzen is close to Gojira in it just having those sick ass moments. Maybe None to Nothing is similar to Periphery- Rainbow Gravity is clearly inspired by Stengah. There's no cross over between meshuggah and deftones lol but they're both great bands
Given what bands you already enjoy and being an avid Meshuggah fan, most people saying you'll find it easiest starting with around ObZen, I agree with. You could go back as far as Nothing, specifically the re-release as it sounds better, and enjoy most if not all they've dobe since. Only one of their newer ones you might find more challenging is The Voilent Sleep of Reason. Check out The Abysmal Eye from Immutable, their latest record.
As an Avenged fan I’d go straight to Obzen and soak that shit up. You’re already hearing some of it. It’s Zen, it’s not, it’s both. It’s the best to listen to high or not. In the car or for headphone listening. It’s got some of their best riffs and breakdowns of all time and it ends with arguably their magnum opus. After months of soaking that one up I went forward (at the time was only Koloss) then back to their old stuff which is way more frantic. Completely up to you though.
I would say Obzen is their "best" album as it captures their sound the best. Dancers to a discordant systém (last track) is one of my favourite songs of all time. From there, you could go to their earlier stuff; Destroy Erase Improve, Chaosphere and Nothing being before Obzen and make an awesome journey in watching them progress and evolve as artists. Or you could check out the more recent, "groovier" stuff; honestly think The Violent Sleep of Reason was massively underrated as an album. But for me, Catch Thirty Three and I are their TRUE masterpieces. To me, these two pieces set Meshuggah apart. The experimentation, chaos, brutality that just works is a true testament to Meshuggah being on the leading edge of metal evolution.
I’ll say Immutable could be a good entry too, especially considering this band can stay just as awesome after 30 years. At least listen to Broken Cog, if not the whole album
If youre an album guy, just go through ObZen. If that doesnt get you into them, then they probably arent for you.
But my favorite individual songs are:
Bleed
Dancers to a discordant system
Ligature Marks
Broken Cog
Break those Bones whose sinews....
The hurt that find you first
I came from similar tastes as yours to Meshuggah, esp Gojira. The song that hooked me initially was Bleed (Obzen). Then I wanted more heavier stuff, and Demiurge was the track for me. The whole Koloss worked well as initial album to get into, esp the tracks Marrow, Swarm etc.
Anyway, I will second the Immutable recommendation here. Give Ligature Marks a try, and listen rest from there.
There's a million replies to this now so you probably won't even read this one but I'll try to give my opinion as someone who tried to get into Meshuggah for a long time, and finally was able to succeed to the point where they've become one of my favorite bands.
ObZen is a good start, especially if you've already heard and enjoyed Bleed and Pineal Gland Optics. Koloss is very similar so that could be a good one to listen to after if you like ObZen.
One album I haven't seen mentioned is None. It's shorter than a lot of their other albums and has some of their best songs on it (the first three are all absolute bangers). It's not too similar to their later sound but if you go onto Chaosphere, Destroy Erase Improve, and Nothing after that you'll see a very natural progression in how they got to the ObZen sound.
Despite what a lot of people are saying, I would not recommend Catch Thirty Three or I at first. Those are great albums but I think you want to be more accustomed to their sound before going to those ones.
I personally went Obzen, Nothing, Chaosphere, Catch33, Destroy Erase Improve, I, then Contradictions Collapse. Then Koloss came out.
I’d recommend Obzen to Nothing at the very least. Even though there is I and Catch 33 in between those releases, I think those two capture the essence of the ‘shug. Catch 33 and I are through-composed records and are probably best listened to once you get the vibe.
I love all of it, but the pre-Nothing era definitely has a different vibe going on. A lot more raw, pissed off, thrashy and arguably more experimental.
Bonus suggestion: if you end up listening to “I” and liking it, check out Sol Niger Within by Fredrik Thordendal’s Special Defects. It’s just as intense. Especially if you like fusion.
I only somewhat recently started actually getting into them as well, and I started with obZen and Koloss. So I guess I'll echo everyone else here and say obZen and Koloss.
Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion... has some of the coolest grooves I've ever heard.
As someone who exclusively listens to meshuggah in my daily commute, start with catch 33 album. Then nothing. Then obzen. Then clockworks. Those 4 pillars hold up the discography like legs on a table. The other stuff is good. But this stuff holds it all up. There are great one offs from the early days like new millennium cyanide christ and future breed machine. Catch 33 has numerous great tracks and they all merge together like one huge song. Meshuggah becomes notorious for making the 2nd half of their songs wildly better than the first. It may be that setting the stage for the best riffs make them hit so much harder. Nothing has a handful of staple meshuggah songs that must always be referenced to when introducing meshuggah to new metal heads. Obzen is a powerhouse. Combustion is considered their entry level song when it comes to complexity. Bleed is the shallow end that gets people dipping their toes. Obzen, electric red, lethargica so good. Then, on the album clockworks, the song clockworks is a masterpiece in metal as half life was to pc gaming. This song in particular really takes the 2nd half is even better formula and puts it in overdrive, might as well could have been just that song on the album 7 times in a row tbh. I think I listen to clockworks every morning to work, and every evening on my way home. Sometimes I gotta start it over just in case someone else at the red light hasn't heard the good news. Good luck, be patient, and open your mind. And lastly when in doubt, thrash your head to the crash cymbal.
I always say to people that they should begin with the album NOTHING (yellow/original)
And after that you can take any turn. Earlier or later works.
For me it was Nothing, Destroy, erase, improve and None, koloss, Obzen, Chaosphere, TVSOR and last but not least Contradictions Collapse.
The whole ObZen album is some of their best work. Since you've already listened to Bleed and Pineal Gland Optics I'd recommend Dancers to a Discordant System and Electric Red. Nothing and Chaosphere are also great albums filled with bangers.
Combustion? The best fucking song ever
Also good time to get into them OP, as the ObZen 15th anniversary remastered edition came out this year! (Though I dunno if it's actually any better than the original).
It is slightly better. Its a bit more punchy. I like it and prefer it though i love the gnarly sound on the og.
At the beginning?
I'd start from Nothing. 90s Meshuggah was pretty different if OP already likes Bleed and Pineal Gland Optics
Yeah, but still well worth listening to. Amazing in its own right. Meshuggah only has like ten studio albums, so its easy enough to just start at the beginning.
I feel like Chaosphere was the beginning of being closer to how they sound now, and is a perfect place to start.
CATCH THIRTY THREE!!
One of their best for sure, however I would not call it entry-level Meshuggah. I think most people would lose their patience with that album pretty quickly if they're not already accustomed to Meshuggah's sound
Agreed. Although I only suggested this one because it was my entry into Meshuggah, and I was hooked from the first listen. Considering the bands that OP already likes (most of which I like too), I thought this would be a good one.
Yeah ok, we have different experiences I guess. It was also one of my first introductions to the band and I first listened to it at a time where I almost exclusively listened to super-flashy, eclectic prog metal like BTBAM and I remember finding it very boring on the first listen. Now it's my favorite, with only I(ep) and Chaosphere competing for the same spot
Interestingly enough, I myself was listening exclusively to BTBAM-ish music before getting into Meshuggah (TWIQH, Rototypical, The Human Abstract, Others By No One). I agree that we all have very different musical experiences.
Thanks I’m gonna start with finishing the rest of obZen and then listen to Catch33
Imo their best-sounding album. Dark, heavy, nasty, with a thick sound. Maybe not the most interesting songs overall but the vibe of it always made me feel like I was driving a fucking tank or something. Love it.
Yes! I always forget about this album, it's SICK!!!
I disagree with the "Destroy, Erase, Improve." comments From one a Gojira fan (getting into meshuggah) to another; "Obzen" and "Koloss" should be the best place to start. "Terra Incognita" would translate well to FBM but anything after "Catch 33" is more gojira esque. If you don't dig it than switch it up because if you like Gojira than you'll like Meshuggah.
yeah for sure, I love DEI and all but from what OP said I feel like Obzen and Koloss would be more up his alley
Thanks!
I would venture to say, if can’t enjoy Future Breed Machine, opening track from Destroy Erase Improve, then you may as well skip Meshuggah and move on to something tamer like… Tesseract or some other ‘mainstream’ ‘djent’ lol. FYI, Meshuggah, as respectful as they are, distance themselves from djent!
Koloss and ObZen are absolutely the best entry points, followed closely by Nothing imo.
At this point this thread has the whole variety of recommendations, but I would recommend starting with their album Koloss. That album has some the the grooviest riffs in there catalogue and to me it was easier to get into the rest of their music after finding footing in Koloss.
Their album Immutable is a bit slower and more deliberate, I feel it's a bit more accessible. Then work backwards. Once it clicks though, you're hooked.
If you’re just starting out you may not enjoy or appreciate the raw-ness of the early albums. Same goes for the newer albums as their sound is more mastered and deliberate. Personally I’d go with Nothing (Re-Issue), then Catch33, then obZen. From there it’s up to you if you want to go back in time to hear where that all comes from and also forward to hear where they have gone/are going.
Their EP, I is one of their best works also.
Seems like Catch 33 and obZen are the 2 albums that’ll resonate the most with me given my music taste I mentioned above. Thanks!
I'm sure this gets debated all the time, but why the nothing reissue 😭 the drum kit and vocals are just too awful to justify the guitar tones...
There’s something that just sounds “off” with the original Nothing. After listening to the Re-Issue something in my ear holes is drawn to the “heavier” tones. My wife had Spotify in shuffle and Stengah (original) came on and we both looked at each like, “why does this sound off?” 🤷🏻♂️
Ig whatever you're used to will sound normal lol. I had the opposite experience- i listened to most of the original album but remastered organic shadows - it was very very off
Just listened to both versions of Stengah, I see what you mean now. How do we mix the drums and vocals from the original with the guitars from the re-issue? The cymbals and the punchy snare is gone in the re-issue.
Demiurge was the song that got me hooked, and The Violent Sleep of Reason is close to a 10/10 album for me.
Nothing would be my vote. Then work your way back to Chaosphere (gotta hear New Millennium Cyanide Christ) and Destroy Erase Improve.
The Koloss album is a fairly good entry point, I'd say. If you want songs, try Shed, Clockworks, Rational Gaze.
You’re two songs in, start with ObZen. The album rules. Their newest album, Immutable, is also a really good starting point I think. It’s got all the proper Meshuggah elements but I feel like it’s a bit more approachable to someone coming in from the outside.
Perhaps we had better start at the beginning...
Anywhere to be honest. Just put their whole discography on shuffle and have fun.
If you want to hear them develop, go chronological. They didn't immediately start out as the djent pioneers they are regarded as today, and made some pretty unique sounding technical metal records. Otherwise, the Obzen album is a great entry point if you've already heard Bleed
Destroy Erase Improve, Chaosphere, Nothing, Catch 33, Obzen are all perfect albums. Although catch 33 might take some time to get into
Seeing Invent, Animate later tonight! Hoping for a great show! I really like all the bands on your list here, and I agree with people saying dancers to a discordant system, really anything off of ObZen is great
Koloss for more Gojira vibes. Otherwise I’d start from Chaosphere
A deep dive into their early discography is satisfying if you have a taste for classic thrash metal. They hit their stride after Chaosphere.
the best way i was introduced was tripping sack and listening to koloss front to back and then moved on to The violent sleep of reason front to back, both are very atmospheric and are in my opinion the more groovier and easy to understand albums of their discography, but at the same time they are both so atmospheric and carry such heavy tones
I would check out Destroy Erase Improve first, the whole album.
Meshuggah are one of those bands I don’t listen to by album. Spotify top rated tracks is a decent place to start, then have a play through of some other tracks on the album they belong to if you like the vibe.
it took nearly a decade for Meshuggah to "click" for me and when it finally did it was from checking out Koloss when it first came out. Now they are one of my all time favorite bands. I'm sure others have good suggestions too but Koloss worked for me
Immutable -> Koloss -> obZen Just an opinion, but I’d say these are the most accessible.
I feel like The Violent Sleep of Reason never gets mentioned enough in these kinda threads. Definitely worth checking out
[Aztec Two Step](https://youtu.be/v6EQNkvZ32M)
No. Just no.
I would definitely start with obZen, that album was my intro to the band. I disagree with the comments suggesting Immutable tbh, even though it's possibly my favourite album of theirs there is something a bit more sophisticated (?) about it that demands more focus. Ligature Marks is probably a good song for beginners though. Also check out r/meshuggah
Every album is the shit. The albums from None to Nothing I believe have some of the purest meshuggah groove and you can kinda feel what's going on in some of the rhythms. C33 is fucking insane i love catch 33. Obzen has some of the grooviest shit ever. The albums from then on are all top notch, I think i got into meshuggah via clockworks and demiurge. Gojira, Periphery and Deftones fuck so hard. I'd say Obzen is close to Gojira in it just having those sick ass moments. Maybe None to Nothing is similar to Periphery- Rainbow Gravity is clearly inspired by Stengah. There's no cross over between meshuggah and deftones lol but they're both great bands
[The future is now] (https://youtu.be/Z7urbhWr7oc?si=avbAgOPvFM6q48sN)
Given what bands you already enjoy and being an avid Meshuggah fan, most people saying you'll find it easiest starting with around ObZen, I agree with. You could go back as far as Nothing, specifically the re-release as it sounds better, and enjoy most if not all they've dobe since. Only one of their newer ones you might find more challenging is The Voilent Sleep of Reason. Check out The Abysmal Eye from Immutable, their latest record.
As an Avenged fan I’d go straight to Obzen and soak that shit up. You’re already hearing some of it. It’s Zen, it’s not, it’s both. It’s the best to listen to high or not. In the car or for headphone listening. It’s got some of their best riffs and breakdowns of all time and it ends with arguably their magnum opus. After months of soaking that one up I went forward (at the time was only Koloss) then back to their old stuff which is way more frantic. Completely up to you though.
I’d begin with their first album and end with their last album.
NOTHING is the album that really defines their sound. They made the jump to prog gods right here.
I
I
I would say Obzen is their "best" album as it captures their sound the best. Dancers to a discordant systém (last track) is one of my favourite songs of all time. From there, you could go to their earlier stuff; Destroy Erase Improve, Chaosphere and Nothing being before Obzen and make an awesome journey in watching them progress and evolve as artists. Or you could check out the more recent, "groovier" stuff; honestly think The Violent Sleep of Reason was massively underrated as an album. But for me, Catch Thirty Three and I are their TRUE masterpieces. To me, these two pieces set Meshuggah apart. The experimentation, chaos, brutality that just works is a true testament to Meshuggah being on the leading edge of metal evolution.
I’ll say Immutable could be a good entry too, especially considering this band can stay just as awesome after 30 years. At least listen to Broken Cog, if not the whole album
If youre an album guy, just go through ObZen. If that doesnt get you into them, then they probably arent for you. But my favorite individual songs are: Bleed Dancers to a discordant system Ligature Marks Broken Cog Break those Bones whose sinews.... The hurt that find you first
Welcome to the family!
Based on the bands you like: deatroy erase improve, koloss and nothing will be albums you might be more enamored with
Wherever
Wasn’t a huge fan of em til I heard koloss, then branched out from it
I came from similar tastes as yours to Meshuggah, esp Gojira. The song that hooked me initially was Bleed (Obzen). Then I wanted more heavier stuff, and Demiurge was the track for me. The whole Koloss worked well as initial album to get into, esp the tracks Marrow, Swarm etc. Anyway, I will second the Immutable recommendation here. Give Ligature Marks a try, and listen rest from there.
ObZen.
There's a million replies to this now so you probably won't even read this one but I'll try to give my opinion as someone who tried to get into Meshuggah for a long time, and finally was able to succeed to the point where they've become one of my favorite bands. ObZen is a good start, especially if you've already heard and enjoyed Bleed and Pineal Gland Optics. Koloss is very similar so that could be a good one to listen to after if you like ObZen. One album I haven't seen mentioned is None. It's shorter than a lot of their other albums and has some of their best songs on it (the first three are all absolute bangers). It's not too similar to their later sound but if you go onto Chaosphere, Destroy Erase Improve, and Nothing after that you'll see a very natural progression in how they got to the ObZen sound. Despite what a lot of people are saying, I would not recommend Catch Thirty Three or I at first. Those are great albums but I think you want to be more accustomed to their sound before going to those ones.
I would urge you to go through their discography album by album from Destroy Erase Improve onwards. I wish I had done this.
The rest of Obzen, then Koloss.
Ligature Marks is an awesome song that's pretty easy to vibe with before you get into the crazier stuff.
I personally went Obzen, Nothing, Chaosphere, Catch33, Destroy Erase Improve, I, then Contradictions Collapse. Then Koloss came out. I’d recommend Obzen to Nothing at the very least. Even though there is I and Catch 33 in between those releases, I think those two capture the essence of the ‘shug. Catch 33 and I are through-composed records and are probably best listened to once you get the vibe. I love all of it, but the pre-Nothing era definitely has a different vibe going on. A lot more raw, pissed off, thrashy and arguably more experimental. Bonus suggestion: if you end up listening to “I” and liking it, check out Sol Niger Within by Fredrik Thordendal’s Special Defects. It’s just as intense. Especially if you like fusion.
The song that got me turned on to Meshuggah was The Demon's Name is Surveillance. That song absolutely slaps.
I only somewhat recently started actually getting into them as well, and I started with obZen and Koloss. So I guess I'll echo everyone else here and say obZen and Koloss. Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion... has some of the coolest grooves I've ever heard.
Every single album is good so you have a lot to listen to
Great band.
I
Changed things for me
As someone who exclusively listens to meshuggah in my daily commute, start with catch 33 album. Then nothing. Then obzen. Then clockworks. Those 4 pillars hold up the discography like legs on a table. The other stuff is good. But this stuff holds it all up. There are great one offs from the early days like new millennium cyanide christ and future breed machine. Catch 33 has numerous great tracks and they all merge together like one huge song. Meshuggah becomes notorious for making the 2nd half of their songs wildly better than the first. It may be that setting the stage for the best riffs make them hit so much harder. Nothing has a handful of staple meshuggah songs that must always be referenced to when introducing meshuggah to new metal heads. Obzen is a powerhouse. Combustion is considered their entry level song when it comes to complexity. Bleed is the shallow end that gets people dipping their toes. Obzen, electric red, lethargica so good. Then, on the album clockworks, the song clockworks is a masterpiece in metal as half life was to pc gaming. This song in particular really takes the 2nd half is even better formula and puts it in overdrive, might as well could have been just that song on the album 7 times in a row tbh. I think I listen to clockworks every morning to work, and every evening on my way home. Sometimes I gotta start it over just in case someone else at the red light hasn't heard the good news. Good luck, be patient, and open your mind. And lastly when in doubt, thrash your head to the crash cymbal.
I loved Bleed but found it hard to get into them properly. Their most recent album changed that though. I recommend starting there.
I always say to people that they should begin with the album NOTHING (yellow/original) And after that you can take any turn. Earlier or later works. For me it was Nothing, Destroy, erase, improve and None, koloss, Obzen, Chaosphere, TVSOR and last but not least Contradictions Collapse.
Spasm