Taking over the regal surroundings of the Forum Theatre tonight are two of most influential forces in metal, Devin Townsend’s self-titular Project, and Meshuggah, with support from Dredg. Unfortunately for a good chunk of the audience tonight, the line to get into the sold-out venue is stuck around the corner in Hosier Lane for Dredg’s set, the tail end of the queue filtering in ten minutes after Meshuggah have started.
Meshuggah live is a bit like watching high-speed footage of a series of explosions while in the middle of an earthquake. Their dense polyrhythms and Thomas Haake’s absolutely flawless drumming are both mesmerising and unbalancing; you’re left constantly wondering what part of the song you’re listening to at any given time. The brutal riffs of “New Millennium Cyanide Christ” set the crowd in motion, particularly the contingent in the middle of the mosh pit rocking the shirtless viking look.
The audience eats up a song off of Meshuggah’s soon-to-be-released album Koloss, throwing up a sea of horns at the end. “Bleed”, from their 2008 album obZen, is a standout. The grinding tempo shifts executed by guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström show just how tight a band can be after 20 years. Jens Kidman staggers around the stage like a man possessed, his gravelly, almost monotonous vocals spat into the microphone with a cold intensity. “Lethargica” comes late in the set, amidst a light show definitely not for the photosensitive. After twenty five years, Meshuggah’s live show is polished, relentless and intense. They definitely remain at the top of their game.
As Meshuggah clear the stage, Devin Townsend’s half time programme appears at the back of the stage on the projector screen. After Meshuggah, to have party hit “The Vengabus is Coming” blasting out of the house speakers while poorly photoshopped images of Devin in animal outfits appear on screen is more than a little strange. Soon, Devin’s character Ziltoid the Omniscient from the 2007 concept album of the same name takes over as master of ceremonies. The irascible alien puppet (whose hair, according to legend, is actually Townsend’s old ‘do) presides over the bizarre array of clips, featuring people in poodle suits doing aerobics, the hit series “Pizza Boomerang” where a flasher is castrated, internet sensation The Techno Viking and Ziltoid’s own strangely hilarious musings.
With the audience in stitches, Townsend takes the stage with his band. Since forming the Devin Townsend Project, there’s something in his music that’s more upbeat than Strapping Young Lad ever were. “Regulator”, from his 1997 album Ocean Machine: Biomech, features some fantastically heavy breakdowns. The sound tech seems to have coaxed a few more decibels out of the P.A, which, after Meshuggah, didn’t really seem possible. After asking with more than a little tongue-in-cheek, “Who here loves Meshuggah? Alright! Who here rips off Meshuggah?” he starts off onto “Planet of the Apes”, from his 2011 album Deconstruction, the intro riffs a clear homage to the previous band. DTP seem to have a strange propensity for postmodern self-reference, as Ziltoid makes another appearance on screen while Devin cavorts around the stage, a manic grin across his face.
“By Your Command”, coming from the aforementioned Ziltoid the Omniscient concept album, is all blazing power metal blended with a whole host of influences. Devin’s vocal range is impressive, ranging from an almost operatic delivery right through to a visceral growl. “Juular”, one of his music video singles, shows off DTP’s operatic side. “Vampira” rounds out the set, hearkening back to an earlier age of metal, with hints of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
As they leave the stage, Devin jokes about how everyone knows there’ll be an encore, “Now boo! None of this cheering, I want you all to boo!” After feigning indignation at the obliging crowd, Townsend heads off briefly, before coming back to play “Seventh Wave” and “Bend it Like Bender”. With a set comprising a solid spread of Devin’s back catalogue, DTP’s flamboyant and manic performance leaves the place cheering for more. In what must be one of the most interesting and unexpectedly strange gigs at the Forum, both Meshuggah and the Devin Townsend Project showcase some of the best in current metal.
– Shaun Thatcher
