Bleed

I think the music video is merely like the light-show at a concert; entertainment, nothing more. No - the real meaning in this song is found in its lyrics, plain and simple.

It is, almost a philosophical journey through: Death. (In this case, bleeding to death) And philosophically speaking, Meshuggah likes to see the world, and especially the human / human world, as a machine / machinery.

First verse is quite self-explanatory: "Beams of fire sweep through my head Thrusts of pain increasingly engaged Sensory receptors succumb I am no one now only agony" - The realization of having obtained a mortal wound happens: Pain. Senses start malfunctioning. "I am noone now"

My crimson liquid so frantically spilled

• the ruby fluid of life unleashed
  Just a poetic way of saying: "My blood is flowing". Already here, the song starts "favoring" Death. And paints a beautiful (though dark) picture of that fact: blood is flowing.

Ripples ascend to the surface of my eyes Their red pens drawing at random, at will A myriad pains begotten in their wake

• the bastard spawn of a mutinous self Forces beyond your control take over. "Mutiny" or "Betrayal" of life; death is coming.

The regurgitation of my micro nemesis

• salivating red at the prospect of my ruin, my doom Another well-written, poetic way of describing something "macabre"; The proof of my (micro) nemesis; blood keeps flowing - like the sand in an hourglass. Of course, to put it 'micro nemesis' instead of simply 'nemesis' suggests that this is a realization; MY death, is insignificant. This realization also implies that: "MY life, was insignificant".

Line for line: Malfunction the means for its ascent - Malfunction; the body starts "falling apart", so to speak. This is indeed the way "death" progresses.

Bloodletting the stringent voice to beckon my soul - The continuation of blood flowing starts acting like a communication between 'you' (your soul) and 'death'. You FEEL death. You KNOW death.

So futile any resisting tension As death-induced mechanics propel its growth - Like I mentioned earlier, Meshuggah likes to portrait the human / human body as a machine. Just like a machine runs on fuel, the body runs on blood. Such are the rules. It is merely a fact of life. And as the blood is flowing, death grows and comes closer.

The implement, the device of my extinction

• the terminating clockwork of my gleeful bane - "The implement" refers to "death". It is indeed a part of life - death, it is implemented as a final decision; impossible to avoid or ignore. "My gleeful bane" = Life. My body, that was full of life. The definitive scourge of its mockery - The paradox of life/death.
• the end-art instruments lethality attained - The beauty of death. (As it is, indeed, a part of life. Hence; perfect.)

Heed - it commands, heed my will Bleed - it says, bleed you will - Just another nail in the coffin. Another fact of life/death. A mortal wound has been attained; you have lost control of your body. You are bleeding to death, and there is nothing to do about it.

Falling into the clarity of undoing Scornful gods haggle for my soul Minds eye flickers and vellicates as I let go Taunting whispers accompany my deletion - The human is spiraling down into death. As if through a haze, you catch glimpses of "what's on the other side". Pretty funny, turns out; the gods are just as petty as us humans - arguing over land/money/resources - now the gods are arguing over who will get your soul.

A sneering grin, the voice of my reaper

• chanting softly the song of depletion - The final "nail in the coffin". The reaper singing you a final song, like a mother, lulling her baby into sleep - one last goodbye, and so, you are gone from this world.