Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Periphery
Label: Sumerian Records
Release: year_month
Length: 64:06
Rating: 4/5
Washington’s Periphery, today known as the flagship band of the djent movement, struck again about a year and a half after the sprawling double album Juggernaut (review HERE). Mastermind Misha Mansoor announced that he’d put together the follow-up in about four months and that everything was ready for recording. It definitely felt like the band was working too fast, especially coming off a double album. To add a little more confusion, the band named its fourth album Periphery III, continuing the series of the first two albums, while Juggernaut stands apart.
One thing you don’t need to worry about is the sound of the record. Almost every member of Periphery is known as a producer or sound engineer. Every Periphery album boasts great production and sonic polish, and that of course shows from the very first bars of opener The Price Is Wrong. With its punch and speed, that track will probably thrill those who love the band’s more aggressive side. With the slightly slower Motormouth, Periphery still hold on to the power, just with a bit more emphasis on groove. With Motormouth, though, they show their tender side. Vocalist Spencer Soltelo starts using a lot more melodic, sung vocals, the guitars get more melodic, the rhythms less complex. With this track they let you know they could write a pop song without breaking a sweat, but the band’s ambitions are much bigger and stretch well beyond three minutes. Periphery have a clear drive to make their music sound epic, so there are some extra keyboards, samples and orchestrations in there too. Orchestrations especially are becoming more and more important.
The album’s problem shows in a few tracks that never really come into their own, and you can also feel that they were written in a hurry. Quite a few songs have some unnecessary extensions that make the track lose its thread. The album has its highs and minor lows, which is nothing unusual these days considering how fast albums get made nowadays. Still, Periphery manage to stand out from the average. They stick to their style while trying to reach for something more. Absolomb stands out nicely, first showing off the power of the bass guitar, building the whole way through and closing with orchestrations that add an epic touch. Even though the album has a few tracks where the chorus takes center stage, Periphery haven’t set unpredictability aside. A good example is Habitual Line-Stepper, which hits the mark with a mix of elements (orchestrations, samples, a breakdown) and a properly progressive spirit.
With the closing track Lune, Periphery push complexity aside and put emotion front and center. Lune boasts a strongly emotional chorus, further boosted by orchestrations that carry the album brilliantly to its end, showing that the band still has plenty of room to maneuver on future albums.
Instrumentally, Periphery haven’t changed much to speak of. The guitars are undoubtedly up front, the rhythm section stays strong and dynamic, and the vocals once again have their moments of sappiness, which still puts off the kind of audience that would let the band play big halls. But Periphery as a whole sound confident. Production-wise, the record is rich and polished.
When you draw the line, Periphery’s fourth album, written in just four months, is a remarkable achievement. It has its flaws, since not every track convinces. Still, the band is definitely trying something new while holding on to its original principles. The outlook for the future is promising, but they’ll probably need to take a month or so longer to create.
Line-up
Misha Mansoor – guitar
Jake Bowen – guitar
Marc Holcomb – guitar
Spencer Soltelo – vocals
Matt Halpern – drums
Adam “Nolly” Getgood – bass guitar
Production
Misha Mansoor, Adam Getgood
Track List
- The Price Is Wrong [3:56]
- Motormouth [4:50]
- Marigold [7:19]
- The Way the News Goes… [5:03]
- Remain Indoors [6:10]
- Habitual Line-Stepper [6:52]
- Flatline [5:50]
- Absolomb [7:43]
- Catch Fire [3:43]
- Prayer Position [4:36]
- Lune [7:47]
