Meshuggah Guitarists Discusses 'obZen' Cover Being Censored

In a recent interview with The Gauntlet, Meshuggah guitarist, Marten Hagstrom, discussed the symbolism behind the artwork to 'obZen.' "If you look at it, you have the guy in the perfect Zen moment" stated Marten, "except he is covered in blood. It suggests that humanity finds its inner moment of peace through bloodshed and greed. If you look at him, he is sitting in the lotus position which is pretty traditional. But if you look at the way he holds his hands and why they are highlighted, it suggests something else. Each of the hands represents '6'. Very generic. When you look at the hands and the image, it isn't what strikes you, even though they are highlighted. With the American cover, it got censored so the concept doesn't get through."

When asked about the cover being banned, he responded "To be honest, I can't really tell you. It might have been the label. We just sent in the cover art and everyone told us it was fine. Then we got word back it wasn't ok. It is kind of weird. The cover itself is uncensored; it just has a sleeve covering it. Not many people browse the records for cover art. Some do, but not the majority. I think that's why the label thinks it isn't as important, to us it is though."

The entire interview will be posted later this week. Meshuggah's latest album 'obZen' is available in stores today.


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jason    March 11, 2008