Swedish metal legends Meshuggah, after having to postpone original tour dates, finally landed at the Fillmore Silver Spring Tuesday night, assaulting the stoked audience with their brand of extreme metal. Joining them on their US tour are Converge and Torche.
Three bands on the bill means the night got started early. Torche (Steve Brooks, Rick Smith, Jonathan Nuñez, and Eric Hernandez) set the tone for the crowd with their heavy, grinding sound—everyone in the still-assembling crowd was banging their heads in unison. Torche sounded great; sadly, this is to be their last tour. Earlier this year, singer-guitarist Brooks announced he’d be leaving after touring as support for Meshuggah this year. Later, it was confirmed that the band would be calling it quits entirely. Torche’s last album was 2019’s Admission.
Sandwiched in between acts was Converge (Jacob Bannon, Kurt Ballou, Nate Newton, and Ben Koller). Formed in Massachusetts in 1990, Converge’s roots are in both hardcore punk and heavy metal, and they are considered one of the earliest and most influential metalcore bands. Vocalist Bannon paced the stage like an animal, barely pausing so we could get our shots, and swung the microphone cord around like a whip (I got knocked in the head a few times). The crowd responded with gusto and expressed thanks in the form of headbanging and crowd surfing.
Finally, Meshuggah. The anticipation in the crowd was palpable and rightfully so. Formed in 1987, Meshuggah is known for their innovative style and the band has been identified as among the most important bands in metal. They’ve even inspired a metal sub genre—djent—characterized by its complex rhythm patterns.
Tuesday night, the increasingly vocal crowd amused themselves by singing along to a compilation of metal tunes in the style of video game soundtracks. Finally, George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” filled the venue, signaling that the band would soon take the stage. One by one, Meshuggah (Jens Kidman, Fredrik Thordendal, Tomas, Haake, Mårten Hagström, and Dick Lövgren) appeared on the darkened stage, set against light boxes that lit the men from behind.
The band is touring to promote their newest album Immutable, and opened with “Broken Cog,” remaining in place against the light boxes for the entire song. The rest of the set was similarly hazy and dark. It makes for a very challenging shoot, but it’s very striking in person. Tuesday night Meshuggah lived up to their reputation, treating the crowd at the Fillmore with a frontal assault of technical prowess, delivered with their machine-like precision.
Meshuggah’s U.S. tour continues into mid-October, wrapping up in Atlanta. Converge continues as support through the end of September; In Flames will take the Torche’s place on the tour starting October 2.
TORCHE
CONVERGE
MESHUGGA
MESHUGGA SETLIST
Broken Cog
Light the Shortening Fuse
Rational Gaze
Pravus
The Hurt That Finds You First
Ligature Marks
Born in Dissonance
Mind’s Mirrors
In Death – Is Life
In Death – Is Death
The Abysmal Eye
Straws Pulled at Random
Demiurge
Future Breed Machine
