obZen - Meshuggah

So I've known about this band for quite some time, and since I've haven't really found a right time to do this review I decided to do it now for October. Well also to the fact they also just released a new album, which I wasn't anticipating but I'll give it a spin or two before the end of the year. This is my first full album I've heard from the group, I have only ever heard Selfcaged in it's entirety before (the 1995 ep). Now I want to also note that this review has been in the works since April 2012. I just put it off until today.

1. Combustion: This opens pretty okay, I like the guitar and like the punch to it. The vocals here have a nice scream and I am not hating what I'm hearing. I do dig that riff, it's a bit neat you know. I'm also trying to figure out the time signature while I'm listening to this. I think it's in 4, for the main part, but like could it be in 8. Like is it 6/8 then 8/8. I don't know I probably suck at that, fuck me. But I did enjoy the song.
2. Electric Red: This song isn't half bad, I like the drums and the bass and the guitar again but there isn't really a ton here for me you know. This feels a lot like the last track on the album. The thing I will comment on is the fact there is this synth that I feel would be so much better if it was more in the front and it was horns and punchier. You know opposed to just background and not in the front. The guitar is okay but I don't really know.
3. Bleed: Yes there is a puch to this, but I don't know, like when I hear this I just go man.... Machine Gun has much more punchy and edgy and abrasive moments then a lot of metal music. Where's that moment I go, wow this is tough. To be honest, if anything, I'm getting more of a rush getting irritated wanting to feel the rush or going... Machine Gun's going on immediately after this record. To be honest, my favorite part so far is the creepy sort of quite eerie part. But that fucking "jump scare" don't work for this track in my opinion. Also that solo needs to be higher in the mix and actually do something rather than not very much. 
4. Lethargica: Yes technically there is kinda stuff they do differently here, but yeah I'm just kinda at this point waiting for this album to be over. Also the best parts are these quieter parts, why not build on theres and give us something evil or satanic or dark or crazy complex.
5. obZen: So I took a break at this point, I couldn't take it front to back. It's not that it was too brutal it was more boring to me.
6. This Spiteful Snake: The spiteful snake, is going to rake. He's gonna make you spank, and wank your crank. He's insanke and he's gonna bank, monna skrank a crank. Cyber chanks. I do like the solo the most out of any other track here though, if I'm being honest.
7. Pineal Gland Optics: This is another okay track, but I kind think this would have worked better as an ep. Like seriouly if you have the first 3 tracks plus the last one and the last track it'd be like a 5 probably.
8. Pravus: Is this title a tribute to the band Praxis. You know their self titled ep has some decent stuff on there, I liked it. And not to mention there was a sort of early version of Jordan (one of my all time favorite songs ever) on the 2007 live album Tennessee 2004. So that's something that I think is neat. I'll admit the opening does make me wonder where this will all go. While I have a hunch, I still am curious. My speakers don't have the bass, but I feel like this would feel great with a subwoofer. I don't know why, but I kinda dig this thing.
9. Dancers to a Discordant System: The closing track here can be of note, this is the only track with lead vocals from Tomas Haake the drummer on this album. The vocals should have a change of pace right, a different singer should spice things up. It works for Aerosmith and The Beatles and Zappa and really band oriented groups. I am here to say the introduction is neat and it kinda feels like they might go a bit of a different direction. This isn't half bad, I do like it more than a lot of the other tracks here, but that could be because of the vocals

I give this album a 4/10. This things okay, I mean I don't really dig a lot of what I used to and it's not that this is too complex of hard for me to figure out, it's just it doesn't appeal to me. Like you can't not tell me that track to isn't very repetitious. Lots of theses songs don't show me anything that really makes me enjoy listening to this a second time, or even want to listen to this a second time. I guess if I wanted to listen to challenging music, like that is kinda hard to swallow a bit, I would listen to Merzbow or Naked City or Boredoms or maybe some Free Improvisation or Peter Brotzmann Trio. I feel the punch, but like the I wanna fucking get punched. That doesn't happen. Even when I turn it up and I could listen to other music quiter and feel more of a punch. I'm not looking forward to the next album I get set for next saturday, though that reviews almost done but I'm excited for the finale.