Label: 3DOT Recordings
Release date: April 5, 2019
Production: Misha Mansoor, Adam Getgood
Album length: 63:59
Get the album: http://periphery.net/
The poster boys of the so-called djent genre, Periphery, took a longer break this time to put together the follow-up to III: Select Difficulty. In the meantime the band left Sumerian Records and, after some serious thought, launched a label of their own. A logical move, since the members are busy with other projects too and wanted complete freedom in the creative process. But their own label wasn’t the only move. Periphery also sell a whole range of studio recording gear, guitars and just about every kind of guitar accessory. The band figured out that music alone doesn’t bring in enough money, so they branched out into other areas. You could almost say Periphery are more of a business than a band these days.
The band’s sixth album, which confusingly carries the number four, took around a year to make, which is a pretty long creative stretch for a band like Periphery. But in practice a longer creative process has often turned out to mean a better album. In recent years Periphery have become a real powerhouse when it comes to production. On top of that, they handle production themselves, so there’s nobody else in the mix haggling over how the songs or the sound should turn out.
There are only nine tracks on the record, which is an unusual move for Periphery. But the opener Reptile clears up a lot about what the band was aiming for. It’s the band’s longest song, running over 16 minutes. This hugely complex track has pretty much everything you’d expect from Periphery and then some. The guitars remain a major force, there’s no shortage of aggression, and the pomp comes through in the use of orchestration. The song is undeniably epic and could easily be seen as the album’s peak, an exceptional achievement that also works as a counterpunch to their former label Sumerian.
With the second track, Blood Eagle, Periphery hit even harder. The guitars are crushing in a Meshuggah style. The double bass pedals never rest, and the vocals are mostly on the aggressive side before shifting into melodic territory later on. To calm things down Periphery throw in a section that could be credited to Haken or Leprous, but the aggression just doesn’t run out. The virtuoso soloing comes from the band’s mastermind Misha Mansoor, which is just the cherry on top.
Judging by its title, CHVRCH BVRNER should be a black metal track. Instead it’s chaotic from the opposite extreme. The resemblance to the now-defunct Dillinger Escape Plan is more than obvious. The chaos hits its peak, and once again Periphery prove how much room to maneuver a djent-oriented band has. After all that chaos Periphery stay complex, but the next few tracks offer something gentler. With Garden of Bones, Periphery stick to their signature style. Melodic vocals take center stage, and instrumentally it sounds groovier, stepping away from the earlier aggression.
With It’s Only Smiles things take an even bigger turn. The song is simpler and more melodic, with vocals in the style of a pop hit. Then with the next track, Follow Your Ghost, Periphery hit harder again, the guitars are slower but still prominent. Soltelo uses harsh vocals, but in the mellow section the melodic ones are back. Probably the most shocking track on the record is Crush, where the guitars get pushed to the background and electronics take the front. Periphery have been experimenting with electronic elements for a long time, but on Crush there’s noticeably more of it, which won’t be to every listener’s taste.
With Sentient Glow Periphery shift into a higher gear and deliver a faster track that shows a more emotional side with melodic vocals in the second half. Nothing new, but after Crush it’s a logical move. Hail Stan closes out with the nine-minute Satellites, which recalls the track Lune from the predecessor Select Difficulty. The first half is mellow, built on piano, calm guitars and vocals. Drummer Matt Halpern even throws in a short solo along the way. The second half brings more distortion and punch. The whole thing feels pretty emotional, epic and atmospheric, which is more than ideal for wrapping up an album.
Over 64 minutes Periphery show plenty of variety, even if some parts feel a little drawn out, and there are a few extras that feel slightly unnecessary and over the top. But there’s nothing to complain about in the performance. The guitars are powerful, the rhythm section is varied, and the vocals reveal a lot of experimentation. Spencer Soltelo’s tone may not suit every listener, but you can’t accuse him of being incompetent.
Periphery’s Hail Stan is definitive proof that the band’s energy isn’t fading. The whole album brims with creativity and experimentation, and it still sounds unmistakably like them. It’s all backed by a lush production where Periphery hold absolutely nothing back. They’ve hit their peak with the sound itself again, too. It’s no surprise that Periphery are now known as a band with serious clout, sworn to technical and progressive music.
9/10
Track list:
- Reptile (16:43)
- Blood Eagle (05:58)
- CHVRCH BVRNER (03:40)
- Garden in the Bones (05:56)
- It’s Only Smiles (05:33)
- Follow Your Ghost (05:24)
- Crush (06:49)
- Sentient Glow (04:27)
- Satellites (09:25)
Lineup:
Spencer Sotelo – vocals
Misha “Bulb” Mansoor – guitar, programming, orchestration, production, sound design
Jake Bowen – guitar, mixing, cover art
Mark Holcomb – guitar
Matt Halpern – drums
