Catch 33

Sweden's metal mathematicians return with their highly anticipated new studio effort. The band refuses to rest on their laurels and pushes the boundaries of any and all genres they've been cast in. Packaged with a specially embossed O-card with foil.

On their thirteenth release, Meshuggah got a little experimental. Not that the band hasn't always pushed the boundaries of their metal (likely one of the reasons they were picked to open for Tool on tour), but this album is more than the usual departure. For this, they have come up with an extremely rewarding album. Unlike like the full-throttle assault of Lamb of God and Shadows Fall, and more in line with bands such as Isis and Mastodon, Catch Thirty-Three contains fewer rapid-fire time changes and lets tone take over. It is an experiment in sustained riffs, rhythms, and progressions, making the hypnotic feel come across as conceptual. Some tracks are crafted to blend seamlessly with one another and others are nothing more than a simple, repetitive chords. Make no mistake; this is still one of the more brutal albums you will hear all year--the vocals are death-defying and the onslaught is pummeling. Just that this album uses repetition and silence in a way previous albums haven't. This is extreme trance music and likely one of the best metal albums of 2005. --Robert Arambel