As opposed to Ministry’s headline performance (read Axl’s review), Meshuggah absolutely fucking destroyed last night at NYC’s Irving Plaza. It seems like a good chunk of metalheads at last night’s show in NYC were there strictly for Meshuggah — after all, U.S. tours for the band are few and far between. Eight string guitars? Check. Forward head-banging? Check. Gut-wrenching, precision drumming? Double-check.

What is there really to say about Meshuggah that you don’t already know? They’re fucking awesome, they make your head spin, they are br00tal, yadda yadda. Cosmo Lee of Invisible Oranges (and lots of other mags you read) summed it up better than I possibly could, anyways:

Yet Meshuggah provoke a profound bodily response. People sway, nod their heads, or simply close their eyes. It’s trance music in the true sense. The key is Tomas Haake, whom only Vinnie Paul rivals in steely precision and groove. Meshuggah cut through the testosterone bullshit that “groove” in metal usually entails, and tap into something truly primal. Yes, they’re cerebral – but towards physical ends. Their sonic vice grips probably light up the same areas of my brain that addiction does. Like how certain psychedelic experiences weren’t possible before synthesized drugs, Meshuggah couldn’t have existed 30 years ago. They’re that rare band for whom today’s antiseptic, hyper-compressed production is perfectly appropriate.

See? MESHUGGAH!!!!

-VN