LimeWire Music Blog

If you thought Sweden’s only musical export was The Hives and Abba, think again. Formed in 1987, heavy-metal pioneers Meshuggah are considered one of the forefathers of the country’s diverse metal scene, and they have paved the way for newcomers like Arch Enemy. Boasting a sound that encompasses thrash, death and experimental, this five-piece goes crazy on their new album, Alive, recorded during the band’s 2008-2009 tours of the U.S., Canada and Japan.

Meshuggah have been underground extreme metal heroes since they burst forth from their native Sweden with 1991’s classic Contradictions Collapse, a landmark release on the then-fledgling indie imprint Nuclear Blast. Nearly 20 years later, the band has reached icon status in the genre and continues to push the boundaries with their experimental, fret-snapping brand of aural brutality. They famously landed on the 2002 Ozzfest in part because Ozzy’s son, Jack Osbourne, was a huge fan. And they haven’t looked back since, torching the earth and opening minds with their often-abrasive, groove-filled, genre-defying brand of metallic chaos. There is no better evidence of the band’s unbridled power and sophisticated songcrafting than on its new live disc/DVD, Alive, which was recorded in Toronto, Montreal and Tokyo during the band’s 2008-09 world tour.

Q&A with Mårten Hagström from Meshuggah:

Guitarist Marten Hagström took a few minutes out from his home in the north Sweden city of Ornskoldsvik to chat EXCLUSIVELY with LimeWire Store about the band’s humble beginnings, the new live disc and their growing legacy.

What made you want to finally do a DVD?

Mårten Hagström: We just wanted to present something that is a good representation of Meshuggah live. People have been asking for a live DVD for a long time so we just felt that maybe it was about time.

How did you select director Ian MacFarland (who has done videos for Fear Factory, God Forbid) to do the DVD?

Ian has a great eye for these things and, being in a band himself (Boston hardcore band Blood for Blood), he knows how to make it authentic — make it feel real rather than a propped up rock myth video. And we really saw eye to eye on that. And obviously we made the right choice. We’re really happy with the way it turned out.

What were the early days at Nuclear Blast like?

I guess it was just like for most bands starting their career on a small but growing label. We were learning the ropes and so were they, so naturally there was some friction at times. But we stuck with each other and we’re very glad that we did. It’s a good thing in this ever-changing business to have such a healthy and long-lasting working relationship.

How do you guys feel about younger bands citing you as an influence?

It’s not something we reflect on a lot. But we hear bands saying it now and then and at some level I guess it’s really gratifying. I mean we’ve been influenced by a lot of bands and musicians and now being in that position to be able to have that impact on others is really awesome. Being influential is way more important than selling the most albums. Making a lasting impression means way more to us than making money, so to speak.

How are things different for the band today than in the beginning?

Well, let me put it like this: everything is different, apart from the most important thing and that’s our inspiration to keep exploring and having fun with our music. Now we make a living off this and we’re doing so many things we were only dreaming of back then. But the core of it all is still us guys just going with our creative flow. We’ve hopefully matured a lot musically through the years but the drive is still the same.