Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects

The Profile

Swedish avant‑garde/prog metal project led by Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah guitarist), fusing extreme metal with jazz fusion. Known for the album Sol Niger Within and its revised Version 3.33.

Founded by Fredrik Thordendal (guitarist of Meshuggah). The album Sol Niger Within features drummer Morgan Ågren and vocal contributions by Thomas Haake. It was conceived as a continuous piece and later reissued as Sol Niger Within: Version 3.33.

Both reviews hail Sol Niger Within as a groundbreaking, stream‑of‑consciousness collision of avant‑garde/prog metal and jazz fusion. They emphasize dizzying polyrhythms, Holdsworth‑tinged solos, and “alien” soundscapes, with Morgan Ågren on drums and Thomas Haake on vocals. The circular, continuous structure and the later reissue as Version 3.33 are highlighted. Verdict: visionary, intense, and compulsively re‑listenable.