June 19, 2014 Last Friday night, we at Bring the Noise ventured down to the historic Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California to partake in the first night of Meshuggah’s 25 Years of Musical Deviance tour. Upon arrival, lines wrapped the venue as fans eagerly awaited admittance to what was a mesmerizing showcase of metal music. To kick off the show, progressive hard rock heroes, Between the Buried and Me, hit the stage demonstrating their musical talents to the hundreds of metal hungry fans in attendance. By effortlessly fusing a myriad of genres together, BTBAM displayed their unprecedented flair that has helped establish their well-known name in the metal world. With songs reaching well into the seven or eight minute mark, the skilled and forceful members of BTBAM put on a show fans of any genre would be impressed by. If you missed the show or are new to BTBAM and all they have to offer, check out “Ants of the Sky.” This 13-minute mind-bender should sum up the BTBAM experience pretty well. Next up was the heavily anticipated champion of the night, Meshuggah. With the stage lights set to dim, the Swedish five-piece took the stage offering devotees in the crowd silhouettes to marvel at with excitement. Then it began. Like a punch to the gut, Meshuggah’s first song “Future Breed Machine” hit and hit hard. Combined with an almost seizure-inducing light show, Meshuggah quickly presented their hard rock savvy skills with every intention of reaffirming their 25-year reign as metal pioneers. The show progressed with an array of neck-breaking, head-banging moments and a plethora of melodic guitar sweeps and solos leaving awestruck audience members worshiping the sweat-soaked stage Meshuggah walked on. To catch a glimpse of the math metal madness that is Meshuggah, check out this clip taken from the show. For fans who cannot wait for Meshuggah to hit their town, feel free to check out the setlist from the night here. Now whether you are pop, r&b, punk or metal, 25 years is a long time for any act to play. With that said, for Meshuggah to still be tearing up venues worldwide with their metallic onslaught of energy and brutality, it’s very impressive to say the least.