Contradictions Collapse (1991) - Meshuggah

 

Tracklist:  

1. Paralyzing Ignorance - 5:57  

2. Erroneous Manipulation - 6:27  

3. Abnegating Cecity - 5:54  

4. Internal Evidence - 7:25  

5. Qualms of Reality - 7:04  

6. We'll Never See the Day - 6:04  

7. Greed - 4:17  

8. Choirs of Devastation - 4:38  

9. Cadaverous Mastication - 7:34  

Album Duration - 55:20  

Genres - Technical Thrash Metal / Progressive Metal  

Album Lineup:  

Jens Kidman - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar  

Fredrik Thordendal - Lead Guitar  

Peter Nordin - Bass  

Tomas Haake - Drums  

Contradictions Collapse is Meshuggah’s debut album, released in 1991, and it stands as a compelling insight into the band’s early evolution before they’d become known for their unique polyrhythmic intensity. This album is steeped in a technical thrash-metal sound, influenced heavily by the speed and complexity of 80s thrash bands. At the same time, there’s a layer of experimentation here that foreshadows the relentless groove-based complexity that Meshuggah would eventually perfect. This album may not be the heavy, down-tuned, rhythm-based Meshuggah that would come to dominate extreme metal, but the seeds are here for what’s to come.

Paralyzing Ignorance opens the album with a frenetic pace and the chaotic riffing that defined early technical thrash. Jens Kidman’s vocals here are higher-pitched, a bit rawer compared to the lower, guttural approach he’d take on later albums. You can almost feel the influence of Metallica’s early albums and bands like Megadeth. But unlike most of their thrash counterparts, Meshuggah introduces abrupt time shifts and complex guitar solos that push the genre’s boundaries even at this stage.

Erroneous Manipulation and Abnegating Cecity carry the same intricate speed but have more of that controlled chaos, with time shifts that feel calculated yet unpredictable. In these tracks, Tomas Haake’s drumming is already a force to be reckoned with, shifting in and out of odd time signatures while laying down complex fills that carry the riffs forward. Greed starts to hint at the rhythmic density Meshuggah would later become famous for, offering a taste of the relentless precision they’d grow into.

Qualms of Reality and Internal Evidence are standouts for their progressive structures. You can feel Fredrik Thordendal’s jazz influences come out here, particularly in his solos that cut through the intensity with a touch of improvisation and unpredictability. There’s something about these tracks that almost feels introspective, like the band’s pushing and pulling against the thrash mold they’re working within.

Closing with Cadaverous Mastication, the album finishes on a particularly complex note, full of jagged riffing, winding solos, and shifts that feel chaotic yet meticulously crafted. For an album rooted in thrash metal, it’s almost cinematic in its ambition, something that adds a sense of depth and replay value.

Contradictions Collapse may not sound exactly like the Meshuggah we know today, but it’s a critical piece in their journey. It shows a band with the vision to break molds, to bring complexity and depth to thrash, and to lay the groundwork for what would eventually become their groundbreaking approach to rhythm and structure. Listening to it now feels like looking back on the starting point of a band that would go on to reshape metal as we know it, and for fans of the band’s history, it’s a fascinating look at where it all began.