Meshuggah revolutionizing metal guitar
Meshuggah, a band that has significantly influenced the modern metal landscape in terms of sound and gear, has been a driving force in changing the face of metal guitar. Guitarist Mårten Hagström reflects on how the band’s success has led to key industry changes and impacted a whole generation of virtuosos in the metal and prog-adjacent genres.
The impact of Meshuggah was not immediate and was met with skepticism from the wider metal world. Hagström recalls their early days as an upstart oddball band that was not initially accepted, with many questioning the direction they were taking. However, their innovative approach to music, characterized by vicious polyrhythms, soon became the foundation for djent, thall, and other sub-genres.
Fellow guitarist, Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders, was among those who were blown away by Meshuggah’s music, describing it as “broken.” This encounter with Meshuggah introduced Abasi to the eight-string guitar, which has since become his signature instrument. Meshuggah’s experimentation with extended range guitars as far back as 2002 redefined their sound and paved the way for a new wave of guitar innovation in metal music.
Hagström explains that Meshuggah’s approach to utilizing the extended range of guitars was not as simple as transposing ideas down to the eighth string. They discovered that powerchord chugging and riffing did not work well on the instrument, leading them to focus on single-string techniques that ultimately set them apart and contributed to their unique sound.
The influence of Meshuggah can be seen in the work of artists like Abasi, who launched Abasi Concepts in 2019 to inspire players to create complex and innovative music. Musicians like Spiro Dussias and Dante Swan have taken this inspiration and pushed boundaries, developing new techniques and pushing the limits of what is possible on the guitar.
In the modern metal landscape, the trend of down-tuning to eight-string depths has brought significant changes to the genre’s sound. Meshuggah’s influence on this evolution of metal guitar has been profound, and it is clear that without their pioneering approach, the metal music scene would look vastly different today.
Through their unique sound and innovative use of extended range guitars, Meshuggah has left an indelible mark on the world of metal guitar, inspiring a new generation of musicians to push boundaries, experiment with new techniques, and continue evolving the sound of metal music.