Live report MESHUGGAH, THE HALO EFFECT & MANTAR, Große Freiheit 36, Hamburg – March 12th, 2024

It’s not easy to get from A to B in Germany these days. Permanent strikes make it difficult for people who rely on public transport to get to their destination. Today is no exception. Deutsche Bahn is on strike again, which is also severely affecting S-Bahn services. Nevertheless, many metalheads manage to get to Große Freiheit 36 in time to witness a special spectacle.

Sweden’s extreme metal heroes Meshuggah are currently touring Europe and it is the legendary club on the Reeperbahn that is hosting the band today. Meshuggah are joined by The Halo Effect and Mantar, with the latter having a kind of home game today.

Mantar start at 19:00 and anyone who has ever seen the band live knows that you will get the full blast this evening. And tonight is no exception. It’s always fascinating to experience the power the duo brings to the stage. Hanno and Erinc, both perfectly attuned to each other, put on a 40-minute set that quickly pushs the initially reserved audience out of its seats. One factor here is that the guys are originally from Hamburg, even though their places of residence have changed.

Mantar let the music do the talking, which also means that they don’t speak too much. Nevertheless, the fans are important to Mantar and so Hanno asks the lighting crew to turn on the lights, because the guys want to see the audience. This request is immediately followed.

Musically, Mantar offer a great cross-selection and it’s songs like ‘Hang ‘Em Low (So the Rats Can Get ‘Em)’ and ‘Era Borealis’ that create a very high-spirited atmosphere. All in all, Mantar put on a great show and pass the baton to the first Swedish band of the evening.

The Halo Effect are well known by now and the friends from Gothenburg have also delivered a great debut album. However, today’s show of the five-piece is not one of their best and this has nothing to do with the small inconsistencies during ‘Feel What I Believe’. Nor does it has anything to do with the fact that drummer Daniel Svensson is taking a break on this tour and is being replaced by Anton Roos. Although the show is professional and the guys give their best, you get the impression that a certain fatigue has taken hold, which is perhaps also due to the fact that the band has been playing the same songs over and over again for two years now. It’s the liveliness that falls by the wayside. The good thing, however, is that with ‘Become Surrender’ a pounding new song is presented to the fans, which generates very positive reactions. So we can look forward to the new album, which is work in progress.

Next comes a half-hour changeover break during which, as with the break between Mantar and The Halo Effect, rock classics are served to the crowd. So it’s not metal that’s blasting away, but songs like ‘Black Sugar’ by the Rolling Stones that fill the hall.

But now it’s time for tonight’s headliner and it is an unconventional start as the intro is ‘Careless Whisper’ from George Michael. Meshuggah are a force to be reckoned with and I have to admit that it’s been a few years since I last saw the band live. What Meshuggah offer this evening, however, has a vehemence that really stands out at a venue like Große Freiheit 36. The Swedes start their set with ‘Broken Cog’ and the temperature in the hall is immediately reaching boiling point. The fans go absolutely wild and I’ve never experienced the floor at Grosse Freiheit shaking. Today, however, this is the case. Supported by a very well-designed light show, Meshuggah hammer their way through 13 songs, each of which is enthusiastically celebrated by the audience. It’s not just the band’s classics such as ‘Bleed’ or ‘Future Breed Machine’ from their sophomore album that are met with enthusiasm.

The three newer songs from their latest studio album ‘Immutable’ are also highly acclaimed.

Meshuggah have a large and extremely loyal fanbase, which is evident not least from the ‘Sold Out’ sign hanging at the entrance. With their ferocity, precision and complexity, the Swedish metal professors show why they are in a league of their own and even if the music on record may seem overwhelming, it is a completely different experience to see the Swedes live. Tonight, Meshuggah completely impressed their fans and I don’t think anyone regretted making the somewhat arduous journey to the Reeperbahn this evening.