When I think of monstrously heavy bands, Meshuggah is one of the first artists that comes to mind. This October, their 2016 release The Violent Sleep of Reason will celebrate its 5th anniversary. So for July’s Band Merch of the Month, we’re taking a look back at that raw and intensely heavy release. Keep reading to learn 5 facts about The Violent Sleep of Reason + get the details on this Meshuggah band tee dress.
Band Merch of the Month: Meshuggah’s The Violent Sleep of Reason Band Tee Dress
Before we get into the 5 facts about The Violent Sleep of Reason, let’s talk about this one of a kind Meshuggah dress from Creeping Death Designs.
This dress was actually the first custom order I’ve ever placed, and I was extremely nervous at the beginning of the process. Not because I didn’t trust Creeping Death owner Christina to create something amazing (she always does). I was actually afraid of making the process more difficult. Having just bought a cloth tape measure, I didn’t even know if I’d be able to measure myself properly. And sure that might sound like I was overthinking things, because I was and that’s how my anxiety works.
Placing a Custom Order
If I was going to overcome absurd fears like this, my anxiety needed to kick rocks. Plus after purchasing from Creeping Death in the past, I was so excited at the thought of one of my favorite small designers making something for me. So I pushed through those fears of “what if I screw this up?”, “what if I make things more difficult?” and sent her a DM. Christina made things super easy and I was immediately more relaxed once we started the process. Then when I saw Meshuggah on her list of official merch she could create something from, I was so glad I didn’t let those worrisome thoughts take over. I don’t think I’ve ever seen women’s Meshuggah merch.
We went over everything I was looking for, including fit and fabric for the rest of the dress. I love velvet anything, so naturally black velvet was what I went with. When the dress finally arrived, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. And in case you’re wondering, I did take my measurements correctly and it fit like a glove.
While this dress is one of a kind, Creeping Death Designs has other ready to wear items available in her shop. She still also accepts custom orders. For more info on Creeping Death Designs as well as other small businesses that reconstruct officially licensed merch, check out this list.
Shoes & Accessories
When styling, I couldn’t help but accessorize with my Volta Joules earrings and Skintight Rebel Clothing choker. Side note: The choker was also a custom order, which the owner, Disa, made super simple as well. Finally, I added a simple pair of black summer heels from Killstar and I was ready to go.
5 Facts About The Violent Sleep of Reason
Now that you have the details on this badass Meshuggah dress, it’s time for your lesson in Heavy Music 101. Here’s 5 facts about The Violent Sleep of Reason that you should know.
1. The inspiration for the album’s title came from Francisco Goya’s painting The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters.
However, drummer Tomas Haake confirmed that this was strictly limited to its wording only. The band did not attempt to incorporate any other themes from the painting into the music.
2. When it came to creating the album artwork, though, Meshuggah presented the title to artist Keerych Luminokaya and turned him loose.
Luminokaya has already previously completed the artwork for Meshuggah’s 25th anniversary boxset in addition to the artwork for Koloss. The album art depicts an individual “who has been asleep for so long that he’s been taken over by something else,” according to Haake. Originally the idea was to show that as vines which turned into a more tenacle like presence growing into the individual instead of outward.
3. It was the first album the band had recorded live in at least 20 years.
The purpose of this more traditional and raw stye of recording was to capture Meshuggah’s sound honestly. Haake told Metal Hammer that time constraints had prevented the band from doing this previously.
4. The lyrical content of the album focuses on current events from the time it was written, specifically terrorism, extremist ideals, and religious dogma.
Haake said that ties into the violent implications that can occur when you’ve been “asleep” and haven’t reacted to what’s happening.
5. The song “Ivory Tower” was recorded without a click track.
This was again used to achieve that raw, natural sound and pacing that Meshuggah was aiming for with this record. Haake told Metal Hammer, “We tried lots of different tempos, and we finally decided on this one, but if you listen you can hear that it starts at a certain number of beats per minute and by the end it’s changed completely.”
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