In a new interview with MSN.com, drummer Tomas Haake of the extreme, technical Swedish band MESHUGGAH talks about what it was like incorporating thrash and funk elements on their eighth studio album, Koloss, as well as the physical rigors of playing in the band:

Q: How refreshing was it for everyone to go back to this old-school thrash style?

A: "I don’t think it had that much of an impact on us as a band, apart from the fact that we just really liked how the sound came out. Hearing that in our music again is not something we’ve been doing on the last few albums. That was definitely refreshing, but mostly for Fredrik. He wrote 'The Demon’s Name is Surveillance', and you could see his eyes when he started playing that, because he loves those guitars with the thinner neck, he just finds them so easier to play compared to the stuff that we use for the other songs, bigger, bulkier eight-strings. So there was a certain amount of joy in that guy’s face, to be able to record and play with a guitar like that for a few songs."

Read Part 2 of the interview here. Read part 1 here

Meshuggah will be taking their sonic arsenal on the road and detonating sound systems in cities across the US and Canada on The Ophidian Trek tour, which launches on April 29th in Houston. Direct support for all 19 shows will come from BARONESS; opening each night will be special guests and label mates DECAPITATED from Poland.

States drummer Tomas Haake: “We’re really stoked to be coming back again!! A new album and two really awesome bands to join us on our trek across the US and Canada!! There’s one word that comes to mind: Sweeeet!!”

Decapitated guitarist / founding member Vogg adds: “FUCK YEAH! Decapitated with Meshuggah! We’re so proud and happy to be part of this amazing tour! It will be a huge honor to share one stage with such a great fuckin’ band! Cannot wait!”

Tour dates include:

April

29 - House of Blues - Houston, TX
30 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX

May

1 - Emo’s - Austin, TX
3 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
4 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
5 - House of Blues - Hollywood, CA
6 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
8 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
9 - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA
11 - Odgen Theatre - Denver, CO
13 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
15 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
16 - St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
17 - Sound Academy - Toronto, ON
18 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
19 - Palladium - Worcester, MA
20 - Olympia de Montreal - Montreal, QC
22 - The Fillmore - Silver Springs, MD
23 - Terminal 5 – New York, NY

Meshuggah will release their eighth studio album, Koloss, on March 23rd in Europe, and on March 27th in North America, via Nuclear Blast Records.

Drummer Tomas Haake and frontman Jens Kidman hosted a live Q&A; video session via uStream.com on January 24th to answer fan-submitted questions about the new album. A rebroadcast of the live chat can be seen below:

Meshuggah held a listening party for the album on Thursday, January 19th, in Fullerton, CA.

Haake, guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, Jens Kidman, and bassist Dick Lövgren flew in from Sweden to attend the event held in their honor. The evening’s guests were the first people in North America to hear the ten new tracks that comprise the band's eighth studio album, Koloss.

Video from the party can be seen below:

Koloss will be released as a CD digi, limited edition Magic Cube (CD digi plus DVD, exclusive to Nuclear Blast mail order) and two-LP brown vinyl. The album artwork can be seen below:

Koloss tracklisting:

'I Am Colossus'

'The Demon’s Name Is Surveillance'

'Do Not Look Down'

'Behind The Sun'

'The Hurt That Finds You First'

'Marrow'

'Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion'

'Swarm'

'Demiurge'

'The Last Vigil'

Meshuggah's last studio album was 2008's obZen. For more info visit the band on Facebook.