Holy Sh*t! Fredrik Thordendal AXE-FX II Rythm Sound

Sidivan said:
I don't get it either man... and I used to be a huge metalhead back in the day. His technique is horrible, but I can't help but think that's part of the appeal. Fret hand ring finger knuckle is buckled, plays on the pads of his fingers instead of the tips, holds his pick with his thumb knuckle, pulls the first fret out of tune every time he frets it, uses the same finger for that ascending section... but he's stupid famous and I'm a nobody, so perhaps he knows something I don't.
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You have to play on the pads when playing 7 or 8 string guitars to facilitate damping. Marty Friedman bends his wrist at an awkward angle when he plays. Glen Drover doesn't even use his first finger to hold the pick. James Hetfield holds the pick like a pencil. Classical guitarists (John Williams, Ana Vidovic) use a single finger to shift position all the time (called using a guide finger). John Petrucci anchors his picking hand.... the list goes on....

Here's the thing.

You look up the word 'Technique' in the dictionary, you get a definition such as "....the means by which you achieve a specific result." Note, that there's no 'good' or 'bad' alongside that. Jimi Hendrix used a fretting hand technique that shredders and classical players would find impossible. Slash slings his guitar too low for most people, and Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler can play crazily fast flurries of notes without even using a pick! Chet Atkins picking technique would cause most classical players to baulk..... etc etc etc, you get my drift.

Technique doesn't make the musician. Music does. If you like it, no worries. If you don't, no worries. But a criticism based purely on technique...... that's not really good enough IMHO.
 
Meh. Haters gonna' hate.

Meshuggah does one thing, and they do it well. If you don't like it, it's probably just not your thing. But saying they suck, or that their music is caveman music is just not very considerate of the hard work that goes into the performance. I don't really care for the music of Steve Vai, but damn if I'll ever say he isn't a great musician. Victor Wooten is sick as hell, but I don't want to listen to him every damn day, no way no how.

And then there's the "not enough weedly-weedly-waaaaah!" whiners. I played Bleed for a classical pianist once, and he said "All I hear is E flat over and over again". Yeah, well buddy ol' pal. Pick up a plucked stringed instrument and keep up with that shit for the whole song. Good luck!

It's very similar to how some modern classical musicians get really snooty about minimalist music (Steve Reich, John Adams, Louis Andriessen, etc.), or any sub-genre of music at that. It's not enough to just dislike the music and move on with life - they have to attempt to crush the musical value of anybody who does enjoy a particular style.

I don't get people who rag on threads about bands they don't like. It's a total waste of life force, if you ask me. Oh well.
 
theres definitely some uninformed opinions about "djent" if you think it's all chugging on one string with no chords or melodies. listen to almost any periphery song, for example. Meshuggah may have inspired the genre, but there are definitely bands taking it to new and exciting places.
 
Since there have been a few responses in regards to my post on technique, I want to point out that it was a simple observation. I never said it was bad music because of the techniques used. In fact, I said his technique was likely part of the appeal; meaning what he's doing is likely inherent to the sound he's producing. I even finished the statement by saying he knows something I don't.

Sometimes doing everything wrong is actually doing it right.

All I said is that I don't understand the appeal of meshuggah. I am a fan of periphery, veil of maya and similar bands.
 
Someone who thinks Fredrik has poor technique, and who doesnt realize the notes being played are being pulled out of tune with intention. Really has a poor ear. Thats right, Fredrik has unique techniques when it comes to pick angle and how he plays. If you havent heard his older stuff, then you dont know his knowledge of jazz theory, polyrhythms, how to layer beautiful jazzy atmospheres among syncopated down tuned riffs. And the amazing Holdsworthian-influenced soloing he truly masters. Beautiful fluid legato lines, playing out and in scales. Lets see if that is poor technique. To each his own. He is a gifted player, innovative and underrated. I kinda hate djent, since Meshuggah is way older than that style, and the style is simply a re-hash of Meshuggahs riffs with winey vocals and electronic noodling.
Try understanding the rhythmic concept behind Future Breed Machine, try playing in tempo, an try and play the final solos. You'll realize how gifted Fredrik is.
 
Bumping an old thread. Just came across these amp models in the Axe II. Don't really follow him or the band, but these models are great with a couple of HR V30 cabs.
 
The intro riff to Pravus is pretty majestic IMHO (starts around 0:50)



I'm not a huge fan but I appreciate the skill required to do that live.
 
animal said:
Broom of Doom - YouTube
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The BROOM OF DOOM! hahaha Man, that made my day!

I love Meshuggah. I've been a fan since 1997. Met them in 1999 (hung out with them on the infamous Winny they rode around in when opening for Slayer in their first US tour) - super nice guys, really. Anyway, I'm unaware of any other band that's had such a pervasive affect on the music community (since they emerged): they essentially refaced Metal and introduced the ultra-tight production and performance that most of the metal industry now projects; they came up with the whole ostinato (polyrhythm) thing that's also affected Metal and many of its subgenres; and I read about musicians from all sorts of genres tipping their hats to them (one of the surprising ones was in a Modern Drummer, some Latin drummer, when asked what he was listening to and enjoying, named Meshuggah) - and it's pretty rare that anyone outside the metal realm expresses appreciation for a heavy band -- and certainly not one as heavy as Meshuggah.

That someone played a Meshuggah riff on a one-stringed broom (which, IMO, is friggin' AWESOME) takes nothing away from their music and skill. I'm sure the guy could have just as easily played "So What?" by Miles Davis. Had he, would that render Miles a hack? Pssh!
 
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