Immutable (2022) - Meshuggah

Immutable is Meshuggah’s ninth studio album, released on April 1, 2022, and it’s a monster in every sense—lengthy (67 minutes), heavy, and deeply textured. It continues their evolution while subtly nodding to their past. Here's a breakdown of what makes Immutable tick.

1. Broken Cog 

2. The Abysmal Eye 

3. Light the Shortening Fuse 

4. Phantoms 

5. Ligature Marks 

6. God He Sees in Mirrors 

7. They Move Below 

8. Kaleidoscope 

9. Black Cathedral

10. I Am That Thirst

11. The Faultless

12. Armies of the Preposterous 

13. Past Tense

Tone: Crushing, mechanical, but also more atmospheric than previous albums.
Themes: The name Immutable (meaning “unchanging”) reflects ideas about human nature—our resistance to change, societal loops, internal chaos, etc.
Mood: Cold, calculated, but not sterile. There's a lot of nuance in the groove, a kind of spiraling intensity.

Broken Cog – A slow, eerie opener. Jens Kidman whispers instead of screams, setting a haunted vibe.
The Abysmal Eye – Classic Meshuggah groove madness, like a hybrid of obZen and Koloss.
Ligature Marks – Complex rhythm work, sinister mood—this one stands out for its almost melodic undertones.
Black Cathedral – An instrumental, black-metal-inspired interlude.
I Am That Thirst – Straight-up aggression. Deep grooves and raw intensity.
They Move Below – A nearly 10-minute instrumental journey. Starts clean and ambient, then explodes into chaos.
Kaleidoscope – Fast and technical, one of the more punishing tracks rhythmically.

Fredrik Thordendal returned after a break during The Violent Sleep of Reason. His signature alien-sounding solos are back.
Drums: Tomas Haake didn’t use a real kit for this one—he programmed all drums using Superior Drummer 3, and it’s disturbingly precise.
Guitars: Tons of 8-string madness, layering, and those classic low-end polyrhythms.

Critics and fans had mixed but mostly positive reactions. Some felt it was a little long, others saw it as a refined evolution. Many praised how the band keeps innovating within their self-defined genre.

Immutable holds an interesting and kind of paradoxical place in Meshuggah’s discography—it’s both a continuation of everything they’ve built and a quiet rebellion against it. Here’s how it fits in with their body of work:

1. A Reflection of Maturity

By Immutable, Meshuggah are veterans. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel (Destroy Erase Improve) or redefine their sound (obZen, Nothing). Instead, it shows a band comfortable in their skin—exploring groove, atmosphere, and subtlety without losing the precision and aggression they’re known for.

It feels like a culmination, not a revolution.

2. Atmosphere > Brutality

Earlier Meshuggah (like Chaosphere or obZen) was all about raw aggression and surgical technicality. Immutable dials that back a bit and goes wider instead of harder.

Think:

• Catch Thirtythree = experimental, conceptual weirdness

• Koloss = sludgy, groove-heavy

• Immutable = vast, layered, slow-burning

It’s like they’re less interested in blowing your head off and more in pulling you into a dystopian trance.

3. The Fredrik Factor

Fredrik Thordendal’s full return adds that psychedelic, alien solo energy that was missing on The Violent Sleep of Reason. Tracks like “They Move Below” and “Ligature Marks” show how important his presence is for the surreal side of their sound.

4. Technological Integration

Tomas Haake programming the drums instead of recording them live for the first time since early days? That’s huge. And it fits: Immutable sounds incredibly precise and mechanical—like a machine learning what it means to be human.

5. A Transitional Record?

Some fans think it’s a bridge—maybe the band slowly evolving toward something more ambient, more conceptual. Others think it’s their last word: a summation of their style, philosophy, and tone.

Compared to Key Albums:

Album	Defining Trait	Immutable Compared
Destroy Erase Improve	Jazz-thrash evolution	Immutable is less chaotic, more focused
Nothing	Groove + 8-string birth	Immutable echoes this but more atmospheric
Catch Thirtythree	Experimental concept	Similar vibe, but Immutable is more grounded
obZen	Precision + rage	Immutable is more restrained, reflective
Koloss	Heaviness and groove	Closest in sound—though Immutable is more dynamic
The Violent Sleep of Reason	Live, raw energy	Immutable is colder, more polished

So, TL;DR: Immutable is Meshuggah meditating in the eye of their own storm. Still complex. Still heavy. But more philosophical, more methodical, and possibly a signpost for what’s next—or a monument to everything they’ve become.