Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Swedish extreme metal pioneers Meshuggah will officially mark their 40th anniversary in 2027, and the band has begun teasing plans to celebrate the milestone, as per theprp. While much of the group’s back catalog has already undergone reissues and remasters over the past couple of years, the band signaled that further developments are on the horizon. On September 25, Meshuggah shared a brief video clip across their official social media channels, hinting at upcoming anniversary plans and new activity set for the coming year.
The roots of Meshuggah date back to 1985 in Umeå, Sweden, where guitarist Fredrik Thordendal initially formed a short-lived group called Metallien. After recording a series of demo tapes, the band dissolved, prompting Thordendal to continue making music alongside new musicians under a different moniker.
In 1987, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jens Kidman formed Meshuggah, deriving the name from the Yiddish word for “crazy” after discovering it in an American slang dictionary. Following several early demos, Kidman departed, causing the initial lineup to split. Kidman then established a new group named Calipash alongside Thordendal, bassist Peter Nordin, and drummer Niklas Lundgren. Kidman and Thordendal subsequently resurrected the name Meshuggah for this new lineup, establishing the foundation of the iconic band.
In 1989, Meshuggah released their self-titled three-song debut EP, commonly known as “Psykisk Testbild” (translated as “Psychological Test-Picture”). The 12″ vinyl release was limited to just 1,000 copies, sold through the local record store Garageland, and notably featured the band members on the back cover with cheese doodles on their faces. Following the replacement of drummer Niklas Lundgren with Tomas Haake in 1990, Meshuggah signed with the German heavy metal label Nuclear Blast to record their debut full-length album. Originally titled “(All this because of) Greed”, the album was released in 1991 under the title “Contradictions Collapse” to critical praise, though it achieved little commercial success.
Following the album’s release, Jens Kidman shifted his focus exclusively to lead vocals, leading to the recruitment of guitarist Mårten Hagström, who had previously played with Haake. In 1994, this updated lineup entered Tonteknik Recordings in Umeå to record the EP “None”, which was released later that year. The release also featured a dedicated Japanese edition complete with translated lyrics.
