Meshuggah -- Toronto, Ontario -- February 19th, 2013

W0unds · #1 02-20-2013, 05:10 AM

I figured I would post this set as Meshuggah played a slightly different (and longer)set than they have thus far on the tour.

This show was at Sound Academy in Toronto which is probably my least favorite venue in the city for a variety of reasons - poor sight lines, expensive parking, iffy sound quality. Waiting in line was easily the coldest I have been waiting for a show as it is right down on the waterfront so we got the -25 degree (-13 Fahrenheit) winds off Lake Ontario blasting into the lineup outside.

I checked out Intronaut and they had a very sizeable crowd. I assume they played the same set they have been playing for the rest of the tour. They weren't bad but nothing really to draw me in other than 2-3 heavier bits.

After a quick stage change up Animals as Leaders came on. This was my first time seeing these guys play and I was impressed by their technical prowess. I would love to see them playing in a small club or bar where it is up close and intimate. I would also be interested in knowing what software they use to make their music synced visuals for their projection screens as that is pretty cool looking. They played:

An Infinite Regression
Tempting Time
Wave of Babies
Do Not Go Gently
Cylindrical Sea
New Eden
Weightless
CAFO

Source: Me

Eventually it was finally time for Meshuggah to take the stage, as far as everyone had heard Jens was better and would be performing but there was still plenty of speculation amongst the crowd if he would be onstage or not. Fortunately after a few minute wait the entire band came out and launched into "Swarm". Here is their setlist:

Swarm
Combustion
Transfixion
obZen
Behind the Sun
Do Not Look Down
The Hurt Which Finds You
I Am Colossus
Mind's Mirrors
In Death - Is Life
In Death - Is Death
Shed
Personae Non Gratae
Bleed
Break Those Bones
Straws Pulled at Random
-------------------
Dancers to a Discordant System

Source: Me/verified with setlist.fm

I was very happy that we got "obZen" as it is one of my personal favorite tracks. The energy level was very high all night and these guys are truly great performers. "Bleed" followed by "Break Those Bones" has to be one of the craziest pits I have been in, wall to wall moshing near the front. Their lighting setup was very impressive as well, quite possibly the best I have seen from a non-arena sized band.

The only other song I was hoping would be added was "Demiurge" as I missed them on the first leg of their Koloss tour where they were opening with it. I can't complain though as the set we got was quite a bit longer than the previous dates so hopefully they keep it this length now that Jens is feeling better. Overall an awesome show.

Coma323 · #2 02-20-2013, 05:19 AM

That setlist is drastically different from the others.

W0unds · #3 02-20-2013, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coma323

That setlist is drastically different from the others.

I thought the same thing, initially I was not going to post a review it as I was expecting it to be the standard 13 track one they have been playing thus far.

Here is a pic of the setlist from setlist.fm if anyone wants further confirmation: http://s3.postimage.org/liw4n5jxf/setlist.jpg

Catch 33 was Mind's Mirrors > In Death - Is Life > In Death - Is Death.

petrovar · #4 02-20-2013, 05:47 AM

You have Personae Non Gratae on there but it's not on the setlist picture. Plus the setlist has New Millenium Cyanide Christ and it's not on your setlist. Can you clarify?

MetalIsArt · #5 02-20-2013, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrovar

You have Personae Non Gratae on there but it's not on the setlist picture. Plus the setlist has New Millenium Cyanide Christ and it's not on your setlist. Can you clarify?

A setlist on paper doesn't mean that a played setlist can be different from the setlist on paper. It's always nice when a band changes their setlist, so the setlist can't bore themselves either as some standard setlists can do.

So, the setlist is not the original setlist, what's to clarify about the setlist?

IrritatedTrout · #6 02-20-2013, 06:37 AM

Somewhat related: Is Koloss a good starting point for getting into Meshuggah? I like the heaviness and the technicality but I'm not totally sold on them yet. My buddy keeps telling me to stick with it though because they can be hard to get into at first.

W0unds · #7 02-20-2013, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petrovar

You have Personae Non Gratae on there but it's not on the setlist picture. Plus the setlist has New Millenium Cyanide Christ and it's not on your setlist. Can you clarify?

Personae Non Gratae was played right before Bleed, I am not sure why it isn't on the paper setlist posted -perhaps due to it's shorter length or just deviating from what they wrote earlier?

New Millenium Cyanide Christ was not played according to my memory (granted I had been knocked around quite a bit by that point) and no one else indicated on setlist.fm that it was played. Someone after the show said it had to be cut due to the end time specified by the venue - take this with a grain of salt however as it was just what some random concert goer said.

bigguytoo9 · #8 02-20-2013, 06:42 AM

Man I got into the "Nothing" album back in like 2003 when it was released. Ive been HOOKED ever since and Meshuggah has remained my all time fav metal group. Koloss is a sick album btw. I cant believe they open the set with Swarm!!

300%_Density · #9 02-20-2013, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrritatedTrout

Somewhat related: Is Koloss a good starting point for getting into Meshuggah? I like the heaviness and the technicality but I'm not totally sold on them yet. My buddy keeps telling me to stick with it though because they can be hard to get into at first.

If you want to begin, Koloss is not where you should start. Destroy Erase Improve is the best one to start with followed probably by Chaosphere, I'm also a huge fan of the None EP as well, my favorite songs are on it.

W0unds · #10 02-20-2013, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrritatedTrout

Somewhat related: Is Koloss a good starting point for getting into Meshuggah? I like the heaviness and the technicality but I'm not totally sold on them yet. My buddy keeps telling me to stick with it though because they can be hard to get into at first.

I got into them with obZen which is a fantastic album, I would recommend starting off with "Nothing" as a lot of songs on there sum up Meshuggah's general sound. Once you listen to that move onto Chaosphere and Catch 33 if you like what you are hearing.

Koloss is still a great album (made my year end top 10) but the sound is quite different from their earlier releases and may not be the most accessible to new fans.