Meshuggah, The Halo Effect, Orbit Culture & Scar Symmetry in Lund

Posted on 04/05/2023 by pnille61

Meshuggah at Sparbanken Skåne Arena, Lund

Rockfest Metal arranges. Tickster sells the tickets. Sparbanken Skåne Arena in Lund is the place. March 31, 2023, is the date. Meshuggah (Umeå, SE) is the announced headline act. Supergroup The Halo Effect (Gothenburg, SE), Orbit Culture (Eksjö, SE) and Scar Symmetry (Avesta, SE) supports. It’s the perfect arrangement. It’s four bands of highest quality. The arena is great and it’s a total metal evening. The setting up of the four bands with not more than half an hour in between goes super smoothly. This is all an impressive arrangement and the professional performance of the bands says it all. The metal evening set up of the four bands in this tour format is now over and here a tribute is paid to the world class metal, which was presented.

Scar Symmetry

Being a first time visitor at the Sparbanken Skåne Arena with a careless planning of arriving on time sadly made me miss the first quarter of Scar Symmetry’s opening act of this metal evening in Lund.

Scar Symmetry was formed in Avesta (SE) 2004 and plays melodic death metal. The band connects to metalsouth preferences via having toured together with Soilwork in 2005. Six albums with seven singles have been released and they are signed to Nuclear Blast Records (source: wikipedia). With deep regrets, I still got 15 minutes of high quality metal from this band. Let’s look forward and plan for a full length gig with these guys. And they are Lars Palmqvist (vocals), Roberth Karlsson (vocals), Per Nilsson (guitar), Benjamin Ellis (guitar), Andreas Silén (bass) and Henrik Olsson (drums).

Why not find our more on via the band’s Facebook account and official web site.

Orbit Culture

Richard Hansson, Christoffer Wallerstedt

Orbit Culture was formed in 2013 in Eksjö (SE) draws also towards melodic death metal, but has also a touch of groove metal. The band consists of Niklas Karlsson (vocals, guitar), Richard Hansson (guitar), Fredrik Lennartsson (bass) and Christoffer Wallerstedt (drums). (source: wikipedia).

Thanks for a very professional performance and please, find out more below on their official web site and Facebook account respectively.

The Halo Effect

Daniel Svensson (drums), Mikael Stanne (vocals)

The supergroup The Halo effect which started its creative co-operation during the COVID-19 pandemic with the intention to return to the classical ‘Gothenburg sound’ of the 1990’s. The band consists of Niclas Engelin (lead guitar), Peter Iwers (bass), Mikael Stanne (lead vocals) and Daniel Svensson (drums). Jesper Strömblad on (rhythm guitar) was for this live gig replaced by Patrik Jensen (rhythm guitar). Jesper Strömblad, Peter Iwers and Daniel Svensson have a long co-operation and story together in metalsouth favorite In Flames, Gothenburg (SE). Pioneer bands of the Gothenburg melodic death metal sound normally are referred to as In Flames, At the Gates and Dark Tranquility. At the Gates is said to be the first with its debut album ‘The Red In The Sky is Ours’, which was heavily influenced by among others Entombed from the Stockholm side of the country and Swedish metal sound palettes. This subject demands a separate post and may come later. Mikael Stanne (lead vocals) is today the only remaining founding member of Dark Tranquility, a band still going highly strong and can be read about in other post of this blog. (source: wikipedia)

Niclas Engelin, Peter Iwers, Mikael Stanne

All of a sudden Peter Iwers left the scen and the band was without its bass player. With an audience in suspense for 30 seconds Peter was back with another bass guitar. What happened? It was probably not related to a sound effect, but rather to a broken string.

Thanks to The Halo Effect and the feelings they created in us via songs like The Defiant One (the newest release) and Gateways (1st release of the band) were super strong. Mikael Stanne creates a tight feeling with the audience via a relaxed talk in between songs by describing the work of the band and its history. These professional musicians fill the arena with musical tightness and happiness. Loads of smiles while setting the songs without any flaws. The feeling of an already good red wine, which gets better by age, came to mind. Just great!!

Really valuable information can be found via links below on the band performing at the Gothenburg 400 Years City Anniversary June 2-5, 2023, the Swedish Grammy nomination and their upcoming May tour in North America. You may also via FB get hold of ‘The official The Halo Effect band documentary’. Congratulations to all Gothenburgians and ticket holders and good luck from metalsouth touring.

Meshuggah

To call the three previously described bands for ‘support acts’ would be wrong. The quality of the four bands performing made the evening more of a mini metal festival. To be honest, I booked tickets for the Lund event in order to see Meshuggah, instead of buying tickets for Copenhell with a Swedish krona, which has never in history been weaker. As the saying goes…Swedish money makes best value by staying in Sweden. To see Meshuggah at Copenhell will be great for those having enough of strong Danish currency.

Meshuggah made me go to Lund and there I was lucky to get more acquainted to Scar Summer, Orbit Culture and The Halo Effect. I’m happy for my choice this year thanks to this evening and will return to Copenhell when maybe all of these bands are in the band list.

Fredrik Thordendal, Jens Kidman, Mårten Hagström, Dick Lövgren

Meshuggah (meaning ‘crazy’ in Jiddish) landed in Sweden after a successful tour in North America. The band formed in Umeå (SE) in 1987 needs no detailed presentation, since they are moving towards the world top of the metal scen. Still, the members are Jens Kidman (vocals), Dick Lövgren (bass), Tomas Haake (drums), Mårten Hagström (guitar) and Fredrik Thordendal (guitar).

It’s great to watch interviews with band members (check out YouTube) and how sound they are with it comes to be classified in different genres like progressive metal, groove metal or math core metal. The basic idea seems to be that the music shall groove and the sound recognizable. The music the band presents may be complex, but the sound is so compact and gets in under your skin. My heart skips a few beats, which are replaced by the heavy rhythm blasted out from the stage. I’m so happy to have lived through this moment in Lund and can only congratulate those who will have the privilege to experience Meshuggah at Copenhell this summer.

Vinyls in collection

From own collection: Contradiction Collapse (1991/re-mastered 2018, Nuclear Blast), Catch Thirty Three (2005/re-re-mastered 2019, Nuclear Blast), Immutable (Atomic Fire, 2022), None (EP, 1994/re-mastered 2018, Nuclear Blast), I (EP, 2004/re-mastered 2019, Nuclear Blast)

The work of completing the vinyl Meshuggah collection, as can be seen above, is in progress. And there is some work left to reach the nine studio albums, two live albums and one compilation album (source: wikipedia).

If there is an interest to make some room here for new vinyl purchases, please, have a look at a number of high quality and attractively priced used vinyls (LP, EP) and CDs at the metalsouth discogs account. Please, also follow metalsouth on social media via links below.

Metal Month March

Posted on 24/02/2023 by pnille61

A calling and welcoming to all metalheads and others in the region and elsewhere!

The month of March is full of fantastic metal events within the metalsouth region. Very much worth highlighting are a couple of happenings, for which we have secured tickets, will enjoy and cover. As usual, we will do our best to pass on the positive energy via a few lines and some photos. Please, find below some pre-gig information and social media links for an easier access to band information and ticket purchases.

Helltown Indoors, coming Friday, March 3, 2023, The Tivoli, Helsingborg, Sweden

We can’t wait to see Darkane again…

Christopher Malmström, Darkane, at Grytan, Helsingborg, July 1, 2022.

Darkane prepares for a South America Tour during March 2023. The band takes the opportunity to give local fans a taste of what will be delivered down there. This summer in Grytan was really awesome.

Find out more information about tour dates, towns and tickets.

Self Deception (Stockholm, SE) and Eradikated (Ludvigsborg, SE) will also perform at the one evening indoors festival. Check them out via links below. Join their energy, buy a ticket and experience a total live metal evening in Helsingborg.

We have our tickets, get yours and find out more information at:

Meshuggah and the Halo Effect, 31 March 2023, Sparbanken Skåne Arena, Lund, Sweden

Last time at Moriskan, Malmö, February 23, 2017.

Jens Kidman, Meshuggah, Moriskan, Malmö, February 23, 2017.

After more than 6 years we will have a chance to see Meshuggah during the Immutable Tour 2023 and this time in Lund. The band’s brutal style and fantastic live show puts them in the absolute world top of the heavy metal genre. Some memories from last time comes to mind including heave snow, rain and wind. It was a hassle to get there, described in a post from that fantastic evening.

Mikael Stanne, Dark Tranquility, KB, Malmö, Dec. 8, 2013.

Meshuggah presents a special guest, the super metal group The Halo Effect, which was formed during the pandemic 2020 by a couple of friends of the Swedish West coast. Band members are normally connected to metal mega groups Dark Tranquility and In Flames. Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquility is also lead singer of The Halo Effect. Support will be given by Orbit Culture (Eksjö, SE) and Scar Symmetry (Avesta, SE). This evening can’t get wrong with so many giants performing from the same stage.

March will be full of great musical events in the metalsouth region, which will create happy memories. If you’re in the neighbourhood, get tickets and get there. We will do our best to spread these happy moments along. For more only positive information on hard rock and metal, please, follow us at Facebook, Instagram and Discogs:

Meshuggah rams at Moriskan!

Posted on 07/03/2017 by pnille61

Latest release: The Violent Sleep of Reason (Nuclear Blast Records, 2016).

Meshuggah is Jens Kidman (vocals), Fredrik Thordendal (guitars), Tomas Haake (drums), Mårten Hagström (guitars), Dick Lövgren (bass).

After the passing away of our dear father, this passed summer some adaptions have to made in order to support our mother to come back to a good life. We all want her back to her old self being one of the most positive and inspiring persons around. One step this past week was to support her in the repainting and redecoration of a bedroom. To get the 70’s inspired lilac wallpapers modernised into something more neutral like white.

After the first day of paintwork and with a ticket to the Meshuggah gig at Moriska Paviljongen in Folkets Park, Malmö, in the back pocket, the gradually consumed energy led to some serious doubts in going to the gig. The snowy weather came slowly into the region and the trip to Malmö by train grew into a big troublesome…’I will have to see them next time’ – kind of a doubt. Still taking the decision to go and via an ATM to secure cash for a beer or two and possibly the regular band t-shirt (the wardrobe is now abnormally packed with these and I wonder…is there any value to band t-shirts?) Withdrawing 500 SEK in cash the snow fell more and more intensely…and it was big flakes and the really wet kind…starting to get soaking wet, the energy level below zero and doubts were possible to grip concretely…as from nowhere, from above or from down under, the thought came into mind…’but come on…are you a metalhead or not?’ A snowy-, grey haired-, wet-, middle aged man went on the train to Malmö and shouted into the train compartment: MESHUGGAH!!

‘Meshugah’ is a Yiddish and Hebrew word, which means ‘crazy’. The band’s really extreme sound is classified in various ways where ‘progressive metal’, avant-garde metal’ and even ‘mathematical metal’ is stated. In comparison with all other bands and genres of metal described by metalsouth this band represents the heaviest and most technical.

The evening of February 23, 2017, was ‘totally crazy’ and people in the fully packed Moriska Paviljongen this evening tried to describe the performance in various ways: ‘It’s like being run over by a car 5 times!’ or ‘My mom used to have one of these old mangle machines…to have yourself mangled back and forth a couple of times…!’

Meshuggahs is from Umeå up North in Sweden and was originally formed by Fredrik Thordendahl in 1985 as ‘Metallien’ and changed their name to ‘Meshuggah’ in 1987. (Source: The Heaviest Encyclopedia Of Swedish Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Ever!, Janne Stark, Premium Publishing, 2013)

‘Mathematical metal’ is interesting, but is related to a very innovative and complicated music style and the specially made 8 string guitars, which put extra demands on the player, but also gives the Meshuggah sound, which creates massive character.

The gig was the first one of the band for metalsouth, but was so energy giving that the band will be covered as far as possible for future and regional performances. Thanks for the direction from above to plow through all of that wet snow and big thanks to the band for an excellent performance!!

Kongh led the way to Moriskan!

The heavy beat of dark drums and bass led the way through the snow in Malmö passing KB and continued a circa hundred meters to Folkets Park to arrive at Moriska Paviljongen. The building was at risk, but was standing strong an prepared to meet the heavy 8 string guitars, bass and drums of Meshuggah.

Kongh is David Johansson – guitar, bass and vocals, Tomas Salonen – drums, Olle Hedenström – guitar (live), Jörgen Sandström – bass (live).

The album ‘Counting Heartbeats (Trust No One, 2007)’ was listed no 12 of the Close-Up Magazine #192 (February 2017) of the ’25 Doom Metal Albums – you must listen to before you die’. Great many thanks also to Kongh for a great meeting and serious sound waves.

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Tag Archives: Meshuggah

Meshuggah, The Halo Effect, Orbit Culture & Scar Symmetry in Lund

Metal Month March

Meshuggah rams at Moriskan!

Kongh led the way to Moriskan!