Koloss

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!!"

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".

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/meshuggah-new-album-cover-artwork-track-listing-revealed|title=Meshuggah: New Album Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed|date=January 17, 2012|publisher=Blabbermouth.net|accessdate=August 28, 2013}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://lambgoat.com/bits/6145/Meshuggah-Koloss-first-week-sales-Billboard-chart|title=Meshuggah's new album, Koloss, has given Nuclear Blast USA their highest sales and Billboard 200 debuts ever|website=lambgoat.com|date=April 4, 2012|accessdate=April 15, 2012}} Koloss also debuted at number 27 on the Canadian Albums Chart.{{cite web |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html |accessdate=July 17, 2014 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20050417041937/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html |archivedate=April 17, 2005 |title=CANOE -- JAM! Music SoundScan Charts }}

{{Album reviews

| MC = 78/100{{cite web|title=Koloss by Meshuggah|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/koloss/meshuggah|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=October 16, 2016|quote=}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/koloss-mw0002311245 |title=Koloss - Meshuggah – Allmusic |last=Heaney|first=Gregory |website=AllMusic |accessdate=March 29, 2012}}

| rev2 = Alternative Press

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/meshuggah_koloss |title=Alternative Press – Reviews – Meshuggah – Koloss |last=Schreurs|first=Jason |date=March 26, 2012 |publisher=Alternative Press |accessdate=March 27, 2012}}

| rev3 = The A.V. Club

| rev3score = B+{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/meshuggah-koloss-1798172123 |title=Meshuggah: Koloss – Music – Music Review – The A.V. Club |last=Heller|first=Jason |date=March 27, 2012 |publisher=The A.V. Club |access-date=March 27, 2012}}

| rev4 = Decibel

| rev4score = 8/10{{cite journal|last=Stewart-Panko|first=Kevin|title=Towering Achievement|journal=Decibel Magazine|issue= 90|date=April 2012}}

| rev5 = Drowned in Sound

| rev5score = {{Rating|8|10}}{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16900/reviews/4144684 |title=Meshuggah Koloss |first=Patrick |last=Smith |date=March 23, 2012 |accessdate=April 13, 2012 |archive-date=March 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329061739/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16900/reviews/4144684 |url-status=dead }}

| rev6 = Exclaim!

| rev6score = favourable{{cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Metal/meshuggah-koloss |title=Meshuggah – Koloss – Metal Reviews – exclaim.ca |last=Falzon|first=Denise |date=March 25, 2012 |publisher=Exclaim! |accessdate=March 27, 2012}}

| noprose = yes

| rev7 = Spin Magazine

| rev7score = 9/10{{cite web |url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/meshuggah-koloss-nuclear-blast |title= Meshuggah, 'Koloss' (Nuclear Blast) – SPIN |last=Grow|first=Kory |date=March 26, 2012 |accessdate=March 29, 2012}}

| rev8 = Sputnikmusic

| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/48716/Meshuggah-Koloss/ |title= Meshuggah Koloss |last=Thomas|first=Adam |date=March 20, 2012 |accessdate=April 13, 2012}}

| rev9 = Pitchfork

| rev9Score = 8.2/10{{cite web|first= Saby |last=Reyes-Kulkarni |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22142-25-years-of-musical-deviance/ |title=Meshuggah - 25 Years of Musical Deviance |publisher=Pitchfork.com |date= August 1, 2016|accessdate=August 1, 2016}}

}}

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

{{Track listing

|title1 = I Am Colossus

| length1 = 4:43

| lyrics1 = Tomas Haake

| music1 = Mårten Hagström, Fredrik Thordendal

| title2 = The Demon's Name Is Surveillance

| length2 = 4:39

| lyrics2 = Haake

| music2 = Thordendal

| title3 = Do Not Look Down

| length3 = 4:43

| lyrics3 = Haake

| music3 = Haake, Hagström, Thordendal

| title4 = Behind the Sun

| length4 = 6:14

| lyrics4 = Haake

| music4 = Kidman

| title5 = The Hurt That Finds You First

| length5 = 5:33

| lyrics5 = Hagström

| music5 = Hagström

| title6 = Marrow

| length6 = 5:35

| lyrics6 = Haake

| music6 = Haake, Hagström, Thordendal

| title7 = Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion

| length7 = 6:55

| lyrics7 = Haake

| music7 = Hagström

| title8 = Swarm

| length8 = 5:26

| lyrics8 = Haake

| music8 = Haake, Hagström, Thordendal

| title9 = Demiurge

| length9 = 6:12

| lyrics9 = Hagström

| music9 = Hagström

| title10 = The Last Vigil

| lyrics10 = (instrumental)

| music10 = Hagström

| length10 = 4:32

| total_length = 54:32}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Limited edition DVD

| title1 = Konstrukting the Koloss

| length1 = 25:00

| note1 = Making of "Koloss"

| title2 = Meshuggah in India

| length2 = 26:25

| note2 = Live in India

}}

"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.{{cite web | url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2013/04/04/i-am-colossus-meshuggah-release-toolish-new-video/ | first=Axl | last=Rosenberg | title='I Am Colossus': Meshuggah Release Toolish New Video | work=Metal Sucks | date=April 4, 2013 | accessdate=June 3, 2014}}

{{tracklist

| title1 = I Am Colossus

| length1 = 4:43

| title2 = I Am Colossus

| note2 = Engine-EarZ & Foreign Beggars Remix

| length2 = 4:44

}}

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

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• [https://archive.today/20130201110457/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=169148 Meshuggah Drummer Talks 'Koloss' in New Interview - Feb. 2, 2012]. Blabbermouth.net
• [https://archive.today/20130201092820/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=169205 Meshuggah Drummer Talks 'Koloss' in Second Part Of New Interview - Feb. 3, 2012]. Blabbermouth.net

{{Refend}}

{{Meshuggah}}

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Category:Meshuggah albums

Category:Nuclear Blast albums

Category:2012 albums