Catch Thirtythree

Catch Thirtythree
Studio album by Meshuggah
Released	16 May 2005 (2005-05-16)
Recorded	2004–2005
Studio	Fear and Loathing Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Genre	Extreme metal, avant-garde metal, progressive metal
Length	47:18
Label	Nuclear Blast
Producer	Meshuggah
Meshuggah chronology
I (2004) Catch Thirtythree (2005) obZen (2008)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Alternative Press
Blabbermouth.net	8.5/10
Blender
PopMatters
Pitchfork	7.2/10

Catch Thirtythree is the fifth album by Swedish heavy metal band Meshuggah. It was released on 16 May 2005 in Europe and on 31 May 2005 in North America, through Nuclear Blast. Catch Thirtythree entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 170.

Meshuggah released a music video for the song "Shed". The song is also featured on the Saw III soundtrack.

Concept

Although Catch Thirtythree is printed as a full-length album with thirteen songs, it is actually a single continuous suite. The band themselves have said that even though it is a full-length release, it is still considered to be an experimental piece and not quite a bona-fide album. The musical direction is consistent with the evolution carried on from Nothing and I, utilizing heavy and texturous grooves, leaving most of the thrash elements behind. The album does, however, contain elements of the band's previously utilized jazz fusion elements.

Lyrically, the album is a concept album, revolving around different kinds of paradoxes, hence the title Catch Thirtythree (see Catch-22).

This is also the first full Meshuggah album where the drums are programmed rather than performed by drummer Tomas Haake. They are created using "Drumkit from Hell", a software synthesizer that uses Haake's drums and cymbals as samples.

Meshuggah's use of number 33 has been seen vastly throughout their discography hidden in plain sight and other times seen obviously as numbers. Starting from "None" EP which was 33 minutes long. "Sol Niger Within" re-released version was called "3.33 release". The ending chugs of the song "Neurotica" are exactly 33. The custom ibanez 7 string used by Fredrik had 12th inlay "33" which didn't follow into his 8 string guitar. But his custom 8 string is named Ibanez FTM33 and his custom pedal is called Fortin 33. Catch 33 cover name letters "ee" for Thirty Three is a reversed 33. "Autonomy Lost" starts with a repeating cycle which at 33rd repetition the rhythms play on and shifts to vocals. "The Paradoxical Spiral" song starts with continuous lead which at 33 bars the rhythm guitar, bass and drums starts. The cover art for obZen album has a figure that holds out three arms with three fingers in a zen lotus position. Many more 33 references could be potentially hidden in their music. The reason behind the use of the letters can seem random but in masonic symbolism and other religions and believes, this number is used predominantly mostly secretly(https://www.fraternalties.com/blogs/news/secret-societies-freemasonry-and-the-number-33).

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Tomas Haake and Mårten Hagström; all music is composed by Meshuggah

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Autonomy Lost"	1:41
2.	"Imprint of the Un-Saved"	1:36
3.	"Disenchantment"	1:44
4.	"The Paradoxical Spiral"	3:13
5.	"Re-Inanimate"	1:04
6.	"Entrapment"	2:29
7.	"Mind's Mirrors"	4:30
8.	"In Death - Is Life"	2:02
9.	"In Death - Is Death"	13:22
10.	"Shed"	3:35
11.	"Personae Non Gratae"	1:47
12.	"Dehumanization"	2:57
13.	"Sum"	7:17
Total length:		47:18

Personnel

• Jens Kidman – lead vocals, guitar, bass, drum programming, mixing
• Fredrik Thordendal – guitar, bass, drum programming, mixing
• Mårten Hagström – guitar, bass, drum programming, mixing
• Tomas Haake – vocals, drum programming, mixing, artwork and artwork concept
• Björn Engelmann – mastering (Cutting Room Studios)