RIVERBANK, Calif. — Meshuggah’s latest album The Violent Sleep Of Reason is riddled with hidden Morse code distress patterns from guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, according to diehard fan Dustin Reid, who made the discovery late last night.
Reid reportedly noticed a correlation between the short and long notation of the guitar tabs on the album, and the dots and dashes of official Morse code communication. The young metalhead translated the signals from Morse symbols to Swedish, and then from Swedish to English, with the help of an online translator.
“Like, there’s this one,” said Reid, simultaneously scrolling through his iTunes library and tugging his long ponytail. “The tabs from ‘Clockworks’ translate into, ‘I am hostage for 30 years. Forced to record formulaic metal. In ice cave near Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland. Send rescue team.’ This cannot be ignored any longer.”
While many within the metal world claim it is just a simple coincidence, Reid remained adamant that the tabs are a desperate cry for help.
“There are absolutely hidden messages here — it just keeps going. On ‘Stifled,’ if you listen to Thordendal’s solo, he’s clearly saying, ‘Due to contract stipulations I must unreservedly record with Meshuggah. I haven’t seen sun in months. What hath God wrought,’” said Reid, tapping his fingers along with the solo. “I just hope my discovery can help the man. The sooner he’s free, the better.”
Meshuggah’s manager Lucas Nilsson quickly responded to Reid’s claim earlier this morning.
“Listen, everybody — Fredrik is fine. He’s at home resting, and will continue to rest at home until the next Meshuggah album. He’s a very private person and does not want to be bothered,” said Nilsson. “He loves his metal family. I talked with him yesterday, and I assure you, he was in good spirits.”
Swedish authorities reportedly have no plans to pursue Reid’s claims.
“We have reviewed the tabs. Although they are quite compelling, we believe nothing can be done right now,” said one Swedish official, who wished to remain anonymous. “We believe Meshuggah still has at least one more good album left in them, and we don’t want to screw up that chemistry just yet.”
Photo by Robban Kanto.