Koloss

2012 studio album by Meshuggah

Koloss

Studio album by

Meshuggah

Released| 23 March 2012 (2012-03-23)
Studio| Fear and Loathing Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre|

* Extreme metal
* progressive metal
* avant-garde metal
* djent[1]

Length| 54:32
Label| Nuclear Blast
Producer| Meshuggah
Meshuggah chronology
| obZen
(2008)  | Koloss
(2012)  | Pitch Black
(2013)

|
|

Singles from  Koloss

1. "I Am Colossus"
Released: 21 March 2012

Koloss is the seventh studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah, released on 23 March 2012 in Germany, on 26 March in the rest of Europe, and on March 27 in North America, by Nuclear Blast.[2]

## Background

[edit]

Tomas Haake stated, "As always, we try to take our music in a slightly different direction with each album and with Koloss, we feel that we really nailed what we were going for. Organic brutality, viscera and groove all crammed into a 54-minute metalicious treat, best avoided by the faint of heart!!"[2]

The Koloss album was different from others in terms of cooperation and making music together. Fredrik and Mårten worked together in creating a couple of songs together. Jens Kidman who retired from guitar playing since the album Contradictions Collapse composed "Behind the Sun".

## Release

[edit]

The album was released on 23 March 2012 in Germany, 26 March in the rest of Europe and on March 27 in North America. It was released as a standard compact disc, as a digipak version featuring a bonus DVD, as a limited edition boxed set "magic cube" (a mock-Rubik's Cube featuring the album artwork, available only through Nuclear Blast mail-order), and a double-LP pressed on brown vinyl.[3]

The album debuted at number 17 in the United States, with first week sales of 18,342 copies, the band's and record label's highest position on the charts.[4] Koloss also debuted at number 27 on the Canadian Albums Chart.[5]

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
Metacritic| 78/100[6]
Review scores
Source| Rating
AllMusic| [7]
Alternative Press| [8]
The A.V. Club| B+[9]
Decibel| 8/10[10]
Drowned in Sound| [11]
Exclaim!| favourable[12]
Spin Magazine| 9/10[13]
Sputnikmusic| [14]
Pitchfork| 8.2/10[15]

Koloss received generally favorable reviews.[6] Kory Grow of Spin Magazine called it "the first real contender for the genre's album of the year".[13]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "I Am Colossus"| Tomas Haake| Mårten Hagström, Fredrik Thordendal| 4:43
2.| "The Demon's Name Is Surveillance"| Haake| Thordendal| 4:39
3.| "Do Not Look Down"| Haake| Haake, Hagström, Thordendal| 4:43
4.| "Behind the Sun"| Haake| Kidman| 6:14
5.| "The Hurt That Finds You First"| Hagström| Hagström| 5:33
6.| "Marrow"| Haake| Haake, Hagström, Thordendal| 5:35
7.| "Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion"| Haake| Hagström| 6:55
8.| "Swarm"| Haake| Haake, Hagström, Thordendal| 5:26
9.| "Demiurge"| Hagström| Hagström| 6:12
10.| "The Last Vigil"| (instrumental)| Hagström| 4:32
Total length:| 54:32

Limited edition DVDNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Konstrukting the Koloss" (Making of "Koloss")| 25:00
2.| "Meshuggah in India" (Live in India)| 26:25

### I Am Colossus EP

[edit]

"I Am Colossus" was released as a two-track EP. The stop-motion video for the song was compared to similar videos created by the band Tool.[16]

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "I Am Colossus"| 4:43
2.| "I Am Colossus" (Engine-EarZ & Foreign Beggars Remix)| 4:44

## Personnel

[edit]

* Jens Kidman – vocals
* Fredrik Thordendal – lead guitar
* Mårten Hagström – rhythm guitar
* Dick Lövgren – bass
* Tomas Haake – drums
* Luminokaya – artwork

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (2012)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] | 36
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] | 48
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] | 89
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[20] | 24
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] | 7
French Albums (SNEP)[22] | 120
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] | 48
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[24] | 88
Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] | 78
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26] | 12
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] | 39
UK Albums (OCC)[28] | 93
US Billboard 200[29] | 17

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2012".
2. ^ a b "Meshuggah Drummer Says 'Koloss' Is A '54-Minute Metalicious Treat'". Blabbermouth.net. January 16, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
3. ^ "Meshuggah: New Album Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. January 17, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
4. ^ "Meshuggah's new album, Koloss, has given Nuclear Blast USA their highest sales and Billboard 200 debuts ever". lambgoat.com. April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
5. ^ "CANOE -- JAM! Music SoundScan Charts". Archived from the original on April 17, 2005. Retrieved July 17, 2014.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
6. ^ a b "Koloss by Meshuggah". Metacritic. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
7. ^ Heaney, Gregory. "Koloss - Meshuggah – Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
8. ^ Schreurs, Jason (March 26, 2012). "Alternative Press – Reviews – Meshuggah – Koloss". Alternative Press. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
9. ^ Heller, Jason (March 27, 2012). "Meshuggah: Koloss – Music – Music Review – The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
10. ^ Stewart-Panko, Kevin (April 2012). "Towering Achievement". Decibel Magazine (90).
11. ^ Smith, Patrick (March 23, 2012). "Meshuggah Koloss". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
12. ^ Falzon, Denise (March 25, 2012). "Meshuggah – Koloss – Metal Reviews – exclaim.ca". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
13. ^ a b Grow, Kory (March 26, 2012). "Meshuggah, 'Koloss' (Nuclear Blast) – SPIN". Retrieved March 29, 2012.
14. ^ Thomas, Adam (March 20, 2012). "Meshuggah Koloss". Retrieved April 13, 2012.
15. ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (August 1, 2016). "Meshuggah - 25 Years of Musical Deviance". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
16. ^ Rosenberg, Axl (April 4, 2013). "'I Am Colossus': Meshuggah Release Toolish New Video". Metal Sucks. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
17. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Meshuggah – Koloss". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Meshuggah – Koloss" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Meshuggah – Koloss" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
20. ^ "Meshuggah Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
21. ^ "Meshuggah: Koloss" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
22. ^ "Lescharts.com – Meshuggah – Koloss". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
23. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Meshuggah – Koloss" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
24. ^ "伏魔殿 | メシュガー" [Koloss | Meshuggah]. Oricon. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
25. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
26. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Meshuggah – Koloss". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
27. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Meshuggah – Koloss". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
28. ^ "Meshuggah | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
29. ^ "Meshuggah Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 November 2021.

### Further reading

[edit]

* Meshuggah Drummer Talks 'Koloss' in New Interview - Feb. 2, 2012. Blabbermouth.net
* Meshuggah Drummer Talks 'Koloss' in Second Part Of New Interview - Feb. 3, 2012. Blabbermouth.net

* v
* t
* e

Meshuggah

* Jens Kidman
* Fredrik Thordendal
* Tomas Haake
* Mårten Hagström
* Dick Lövgren

* Niklas Lundgren
* Peter Nordin
* Gustaf Hielm

Studio albums|

* Contradictions Collapse
* Destroy Erase Improve
* Chaosphere
* Nothing
* Catch Thirtythree
* obZen
* Koloss
* The Violent Sleep of Reason
* Immutable

Extended plays|

* Meshuggah
* None
* Selfcaged
* The True Human Design
* I
* Pitch Black

Live albums|

* Alive
* The Ophidian Trek

Compilation albums|

* Rare Trax

Related articles|

* Discography
* Sol Niger Within
* obZen Tour

Categories|

* Albums
* Members

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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