Meshuggah release new 'Pitch Black' EP for free

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Being a Meshuggah fan is usually an exercise in delayed gratification. The band tours and releases music infrequently; last year’s full-length Koloss and the associated North American jaunt were the first of each in five years.

But Meshuggah has been uncharacteristically restless as of late. They are beginning a second American tour in a week, and today, Scion is releasing the Pitch Black EP for free. Get your copy below for the price of an email address.

Pitch Black consists of just two tracks, only one of which is new. (This is much less than many Scion EPs offer, but then, Meshuggah songs are probably harder to write than, say, Corrosion of Conformity songs.) The new song, “Pitch Black,” burns slow—it builds a simple, jazzy vamp up to mountainous proportions. Tomas Haake’s ‘robot rapping’ vocals are a little silly, as usual, but Fredrik Thordendal’s soloing carries the day. The live track, “Dancers to a Discordant System,” renders Meshuggah’s considerable live prowess in big, clear tones.

– Doug Moore

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