Ejaculation of Salvation

Far from the robotic chugging djent they would be known for playing in their later years, Meshuggah actually started out as a relatively standard-issue thrash outfit with a deft sense of rhythm and hilariously spirited vocals. For the most part the riffs wander between hints of prog influence to straight out Metallica and Testament worship at times. The vocals, performed by both Thorendal and Kidman, invoke a very bay area feel, conjuring up the likes of Chuck Billy and James Hetfield with a slight Swedish accent, are far from professionally done, and the production is predictably substandard, but none of that matters.

This demo, for me just as much as Contradictions Collapse, proves that Meshuggah are not a group of mindless chuggers, and actually have some real songwriting talent, as well as a set of serious riffing and soloing chops. All of the songs will reappear on the better produced "Meshuggah" EP and "Contradictions Collapse" LP, but there's something to be said for the grit appeal here; it's interesting to hear Meshuggah at their rawest, and that they don't need all those studio tricks to sound good. For one song (Erroneous Manipulation) I actually prefer this version to the album version. The version here is longer yet also faster, and has an additional section, and just seems to flow more organically. While most Meshuggah fans will pass this early glimpse of Meshuggah up, there are many treats for those who prefer Meshuggah's older period, myself included, on this gem of a demo. Sure, it might be a bit more derivative than later works, but I'll be damned if this ain't some finger-lickin' good thrash metal. Even though it's a demo, all 4 musicians still put up their A game, and it shows here, since this is just as listenable as their full length debut, despite the gap in production values. Again, a must-have for fans of Meshuggah's earlier music.