''I'' is the fifth EP by Swedish

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

band

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...

. It was released on 13 July 2004 via Fractured Transmitter Recording Company. A remastered reissue was released on 30 September 2014. The "Special Edition" adds "Bleed" and "Dancers to a Discordant System" live from '' The Ophidian Trek'' and ''

Pitch Black Pitch Black may refer to: Film * ''Pitch Black'' (film), a 2000 science fiction movie * Pitch Black, the boogeyman in the animated film ''Rise of the Guardians'' Music * Pitch Black Records, a Cyprus-based record label established in 2007 * Pit ...

''.

Background

Meshuggah drummer

Tomas Haake Tomas Nils Haake (born 13 July 1971) is a Swedish musician known for being the drummer and primary lyricist of the extreme metal band Meshuggah. Known for his polymeters and technical ability, Haake was named the fifth best "Modern Metal" drumm ...

said of the EP, "That whole track was written and recorded just on random. Me and

Fredrik Fredrik or Frederik is a masculine Germanic given name derived from the German name '' Friedrich'' or Friederich, from the Old High German ''fridu'' meaning "peace" and ''rîhhi'' meaning "ruler" or "power". It is the common form of Frederick in N ...

would just jam on something, and when we found something that was kind of cool, he would walk into the control room. I would just record drums and it wasn't a set pattern, I would just kind of stray away from the pattern, but just keep going in that vibe. Then we had to chart everything and go bar by bar to record the guitars afterwards, because it's all just random." Thordendal would later post the chart of the first part of the song on his Instagram account. Haake later commented that the song was "originally recorded for

Jason Popson Jason Jonathan Popson (born November 2, 1971) is an American vocalist and rapper formerly for metal band Mushroomhead taking the stage name J Mann. Prior to his initial departure from the band he was identified by his face paint, which was base ...

's Fractured Transmitter record label" and that it was a "'one-off' that

Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...

gave us the go-ahead for — as we were under contract with them."

Track listing

The original vinyl release has track 1 on side A, and tracks 2-4 on side B while the 2016 re-issue only has track 1

Personnel

– drums *

Mårten Hagström Mårten Hans Hagström (born 27 April 1971) is a Swedish musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist for the extreme metal band Meshuggah. He joined the band after the release of their first album, which allowed Jens Kidman to focus on his voca ...

– rhythm guitar *Jens Kidman – vocals *

Fredrik Thordendal Fredrik Carl Thordendal (born 11 February 1970) is a Swedish musician best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the extreme metal band Meshuggah, of which he is a founding member. Along with Meshuggah's rhythm guitarist Mårten ...

– lead guitar, bass

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:I (Ep) Meshuggah albums 2004 EPs