MESHUGGAH's MÅRTEN HAGSTRÖM Explains Why He Hasn't Released A Solo Album

August 13, 2023

In a new interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne, guitarist Mårten Hagström of Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH was asked if it's true that he has two or three albums' worth of material written for a possible solo project. The guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That doesn't cut it. I've got more. But censorship aside though, if I wanted to really boil it down to something, I don't know how much was gonna be left."

Asked why he has yet to make a solo album, Mårten said: "I'm a coward. Fredrik [Thordendal, guitar] and all the other guys — Dick's [Lövgren, bass] got his own stuff and Fred's doing his own stuff and even Jens [Kidman, vocals] released the CALIPASH demo stuff. I've never done stuff like that, and I'm intrigued."

Elaborating on his reasons for not pursuing any projects outside his main band, Hagström said: "MESHUGGAH takes a lot of time. I mean, I wrote most of the last album [2022's 'Immutable'], so I didn't have a lot of time to [work on anything else].

"It's exhausting to pour your emotions into music and then have it judged by other people," he explained. "And having to do it on your own? I'm 52. I don't give a fuck anymore. I can like just do it for fun, but I wanted to make it proper. And I wanted to make it so that it doesn't come as a Mårten Hagström solo album thing. I wanna just [do it when it feels right]."

MESHUGGAH will return to U.S. and Canadian stages for a nineteen-date tour this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the journey will commence on November 21 in San Diego, California and run through December 16 in Laval, Quebec. The tour marks the first time in five years that the band has played Canadian soil. Support will be provided by special guests IN FLAMES and WHITECHAPEL. The final show will also include the addition of VOIVOD.

MESHUGGAH's ninth studio album, "Immutable", was released in May 2022 via Atomic Fire. The follow-up to 2016's "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was recorded at Sweetspot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden; mixed by Rickard Bengtsson and Staffan Karlsson; and mastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN). Visionary artist Luminokaya once again created the stunning cover artwork.

MESHUGGAH completed its first pandemic-era U.S. tour in September and October 2022.

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