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Though they probably never intended it to, Meshuggah's 2004 EP I -- featuring a single, 21-minute song -- helped open new possibilities at a crucial career juncture for the long-heralded Swedish originals, whose instantly recognizable sonic imprint had started to sound tired enough for some critics to accuse the band of treading water in a progressive death metal pool of their own creation. Fair assumption or not, Meshuggah decided to try replicating and extending that single-song strategy for 2005's appropriately named Catch Thirty-Three -- at least nominally, since the album's virtually uninterrupted 47 minutes are, in fact, broken down into 13 sections separated in largely arbitrary fashion. For example, its first three, sub-two-minute songs, "Autonomy Lost," "Imprint of the Un-Saved," and "Disenchantment" could and probably should have been labeled as one title, since they lack the slightest change of tempo or tact to justify such separation. This was also the case with a considerable number of subsequent subdivisions, including "The Paradoxical Spiral," "In Death -- Is Life," "Personae non Gratae," and even the "best in show" winner "Shed," all of which find Meshuggah wailing away on the same aforementioned template combining harsh vocals and nightmarish melodies over coarse, mechanically advancing, oddball tempos. And so, unconverted listeners looking for the slightest deviation from type have to wait until the quieter, ambient dynamics of "In Death -- Is Death," the uncharacteristically melodic portions of "Dehumanization," and the mild electronics and robotic voices heard on "Mind's Mirrors." Needless to say, this is far too little too late, and there's just not enough variety or innovation to be found on Catch Thirty-Three, which may have been excusable for Meshuggah's first or second album, but not their fifth. At this point, it just sounds like a case of songwriters block. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
Meshuggah: Jens Kidman (vocals); Mårten Hagström (guitar); Fredrik Thordendal (guitars); Dick Lövgren (bass guitar); Tomas Haake (drums).
Meshuggah - Catch Thirty-Three Songs
Catch Thirty-Three Music Review
Average Rating: (4.8 out of 5 stars)    List All 9 Reviews Amazzzzzing!
This album keeps the same stylistic line as the previous ones, but it's more minimalistic, more insane, more Meshuggah. My darkest desire. Total madness. The last and the best.
Submitted by tadas (Lithuania)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No brilliant
meshuggah simply destroy live, this cd
is just another masterpiece by the best band on the planet, nobody can touch them live, seen them twice and cant wait to see them again, crazy stuff for
a crazy band name long live the shugganers.
Submitted by Benzer (vancouver B.C.)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  It's different...but I actually like it!
Seriously, if your own nightmares had a musical soundtrack, this would be the music! I admit, I didn't like this album at first, because I expected this album to pick up where their one-song EP 'I' left off, and felt that this was too slow and repetitive. Granted it is slow, but I can't say that this sounds exactly like 'Nothing'. By the same token, it also doesn't match the intensity of 'Destroy Erase Improve' or the brutality of 'Chaosphere' either (as other reviewers have stated). Nevertheless, the more I listen to this, the better it gets. This is a very bizarre Meshuggah album, and metal album in general; it flows as one long, continuous song broken down into 13 songs. It also has some really strange riff patterns and song structures, which is really interesting to listen to. "Mind's Mirrors" is the weirdest song on the album, as it starts out with a metal riff that comes to a crashing halt, and then followed up by a robotic vocal style unlike anything I've ever heard before. "In Death - Is Death" is my favorite song, and is probably the longest song on the album...not to mention the insane melodies that make this album all worthwhile. As far as drums go, they sound great as usual, but unfortunately drummer Tomas Haake doesn't play drums on the album at all. All the drum tracks are programmed, and the only work that Haake contributes to the album is his spoken vocals, that's it. As for the lead vocals, Jens Kidman sounds more brutal than ever, that's all there is to it. Overall, I'd say that 'Catch 33' isn't your typical Meshuggah album where you just start thrashing like crazy. This is more of a Pro-Tools experiment by the band, and a progressive metal album that you have to be in the right emotional mood to listen to. Hey, it's still heavy...and if it's one thing that Meshuggah is known for, it's pure heaviness. Even since 'Contradictions Collapse' this band has delivered the most intense sound music ever, and this album is really no different, so just give it a try!
Submitted by megadeth1981 (Lakeland, FL, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
Great album
Meshuggah has done it again with this cd. It is similar to NOTHING but has some older influences in it. I highly recommend getting this cd.
Submitted by timthedrummer (Toledo, OH)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Polyrhythmic Metal at it's best!!!
A Meshuggah fan's must have, don't listen to all the crap people say about it, i haven't agreed with any reviews i've read on this album, good or bad. Constant mentions of brutaliy etc - this is a given when talking about good metal, i wouldn't say the album is groundbreaking...but it definitely kicks ass.
Submitted by Rhys (Australia)
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