New Millennium Cyanide Christ
Encyclopedia
New Millennium Cyanide Christ is a song by the extreme metal
group Meshuggah
from the 1998 album Chaosphere
. It stands as one of the most popular songs by the band to date.
and lead the population of the new millennium into salvation. He attempts to do this through various mechanical and chemical enhancements "I replace my bones with bars... Drug of gods into my pounding veins." He also attempts to create a perfect world through self-destruction (and appears to be honest in his intentions, despite the fact that he accomplishes so by inflicting bodily harm upon himself): "Hexagonal bolts to fill my mouth/ Sharpened to deplete/ the creator of all violence/ Without speech there will be no deceit." It represents the concept that for man to be perfect, all senses would have to be removed from the people on Earth.
, wearing sunglasses while headbanging
and air guitar
ing to the song (which includes Fredrik Thordendal
's precise solowork as well), while Tomas Haake
sits on a bunk bed
with two drumsticks and Jens Kidman
screams the lyrics into a red ballpoint pen - all while keeping a straight face. According to the liner notes of Rare Trax
(which contained the MPEG version of the video), the video was recorded in 1999, "somewhere in Ohio
". Hagström has claimed that the band was drunk at the time.
The bed has "It was Satan's wrong!" scrawled upon it, which is a literal word-by-word translation from Swedish band The Kristet Utseende
's song "Det var Satans fel" ("It was Satan's fault" or "Satan made me do it"). Haake later admitted that the writing was done via duct tape
, "out of pure boredom". He also admitted that the video itself was intended as a joke, and was never really meant to be released, although it ended up being the most popular Meshuggah video on YouTube.
The video can also be found on the DVD available with the 2006 re-release of Nothing.
Due to a production mistake, some CDs were lacking the videos from Rare Trax - they were later made available online by Nuclear Blast
.
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. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
group Meshuggah
Meshuggah
Meshuggah is an extreme metal band from Umeå, Sweden, formed in 1987. Meshuggah's line-up has primarily consisted of founding members vocalist Jens Kidman and lead guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, drummer Tomas Haake, who joined in 1990, and rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, who joined in 1992...
from the 1998 album Chaosphere
Chaosphere
-Re-release bonus tracks:-Personnel:Meshuggah* Jens Kidman - lead vocals* Gustaf Hielm - bass* Tomas Haake - drums, vocals * Mårten Hagström - rhythm guitar...
. It stands as one of the most popular songs by the band to date.
Interpretation
The song is about a man who tries to become the equivalent of JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and lead the population of the new millennium into salvation. He attempts to do this through various mechanical and chemical enhancements "I replace my bones with bars... Drug of gods into my pounding veins." He also attempts to create a perfect world through self-destruction (and appears to be honest in his intentions, despite the fact that he accomplishes so by inflicting bodily harm upon himself): "Hexagonal bolts to fill my mouth/ Sharpened to deplete/ the creator of all violence/ Without speech there will be no deceit." It represents the concept that for man to be perfect, all senses would have to be removed from the people on Earth.
Rhythmic structure
The song, in typical Meshuggah fashion, applies various poly-metrical changes throughout the song, though the song as a whole is firmly rooted in an altogether standard time signature of 4/4, which is shown mainly through the consistent cymbal and snare pattern in the drum track throughout the song. Any unconventional rhythms within the guitars therefore end up conforming to this traditional time signature. Ignoring the standard metre of the drums, though, and solely concentrating on the guitars would give these results:- The intro riff is five measures of 23/16 and one of 13/16.
- The verse is 9 measures of 3/8 and one measure of 5/8.
- The passage from the lyrics "Self-inflicted fractures" changes to 3/4, 9/16, 3/4, 9/16, 3/4, 5/8
- The passage from the lyrics "Baptized in vitriolic acid" and the guitar solo is in 9/16
- The passage from the lyrics "Disciples" changes to a 4/4 rhythm while the guitar superimposes a dotted eighth note pulse.
- The ending riff is 6/8, 8/8, 6/8, 8/8, 4/8 (which all adds up to 32/8, and could be divided into four 4/4 measures)
Video
The song features a rather unorthodox music video, displaying the five members of the band sitting in a moving RVRecreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
, wearing sunglasses while headbanging
Headbanging
Headbanging is a type of dance which involves violently shaking the head in time with the music, most commonly in the rock and heavy metal music genres.-Origin:The term "headbanger" was coined during Led Zeppelin's first US tour in 1969...
and air guitar
Air guitar
Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...
ing to the song (which includes Fredrik Thordendal
Fredrik Thordendal
Fredrik Thordendal is the lead guitarist and a founding member of the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah.He, along with Meshuggah's rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström were rated #35 by Guitar World in the top 100 greatest heavy metal guitarists of all-time.-Musical career:Under the name...
's precise solowork as well), while Tomas Haake
Tomas Haake
Tomas Haake is the drummer and main lyricist for the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah.-Musical career:Haake is noted for his technical abilities; his drumming style is characterized by heavy use of polyrhythms while often maintaining a steady 4/4 beat. This signature style has become one...
sits on a bunk bed
Bunk bed
A bunk bed is a type of bed in which one bed frame is stacked on top of another. The nature of bunk beds allows two people to sleep in the same room while maximizing available floor space...
with two drumsticks and Jens Kidman
Jens Kidman
Jens Kidman is the vocalist and former guitarist for the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah. He is famous for his very aggressive shouts and screams and for his "mean" stage presence.-Musical career and style:...
screams the lyrics into a red ballpoint pen - all while keeping a straight face. According to the liner notes of Rare Trax
Rare Trax
Rare Trax is a compilation album of rare songs by the Swedish technical metal band Meshuggah. It compiles the three songs from the bands first 1989 release, Psykisk Testbild, on CD format, as well as other rare songs that the band had recorded but never released.The CD-ROM also contains the music...
(which contained the MPEG version of the video), the video was recorded in 1999, "somewhere in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
". Hagström has claimed that the band was drunk at the time.
The bed has "It was Satan's wrong!" scrawled upon it, which is a literal word-by-word translation from Swedish band The Kristet Utseende
The Kristet Utseende
The Kristet Utseende is a Swedish punk/metal-group with roots in parts around Gnarp between Sundsvall and Hudiksvall...
's song "Det var Satans fel" ("It was Satan's fault" or "Satan made me do it"). Haake later admitted that the writing was done via duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
, "out of pure boredom". He also admitted that the video itself was intended as a joke, and was never really meant to be released, although it ended up being the most popular Meshuggah video on YouTube.
The video can also be found on the DVD available with the 2006 re-release of Nothing.
Due to a production mistake, some CDs were lacking the videos from Rare Trax - they were later made available online by Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
.
Personnel
- Jens KidmanJens KidmanJens Kidman is the vocalist and former guitarist for the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah. He is famous for his very aggressive shouts and screams and for his "mean" stage presence.-Musical career and style:...
- vocals - Fredrik ThordendalFredrik ThordendalFredrik Thordendal is the lead guitarist and a founding member of the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah.He, along with Meshuggah's rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström were rated #35 by Guitar World in the top 100 greatest heavy metal guitarists of all-time.-Musical career:Under the name...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Mårten HagströmMårten HagströmMårten Hagström, , is the rhythm guitarist for the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah. He joined the band after the release of their first album, which allowed Jens Kidman to focus on his vocal performances. He is known for his strong and complex rhythm guitar playing...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Gustaf Hielm - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Tomas HaakeTomas HaakeTomas Haake is the drummer and main lyricist for the Swedish experimental metal band Meshuggah.-Musical career:Haake is noted for his technical abilities; his drumming style is characterized by heavy use of polyrhythms while often maintaining a steady 4/4 beat. This signature style has become one...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....