365 Days of Metal: Frak The Gods Week, Love That Shit

A half-week, at least, in honor of the bands coming up on the Frak The Gods Tour, which I'll be attending next Monday in Montreal.


Day 36 

Periphery - Periphery

Band Origin: Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Genre: Progressive / Experimental / Djent
Label: Sumerian
Running Time: 73 minutes
Release Date: April 20, 2010

Best Part: Periphery - Love that shit!

Favorite Tracks: Racecar, Jetpacks Was Yes, Icarus Lives, and Insomnia.

Grade: 4.5
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Periphery in 20 words or less:

*Edited because I'm a retard* DJENT! DJENT! DJENT!


The Band:

Periphery is currently a five member experimental progressive metal act out of Bethesda Maryland, led by Misha 'Bulb' Mansoor who has become an iconic figure, not only as a guitarist but as a producer in the uprising of the underground 'Djent' movement. In tow, but certainly not forgettable in any right is fretwork the of Jake Bowen and Tom Murphy on bass, Matt Halpern's prowess behind the drum kit, and Spencer Sotelo up front on the vox. Periphery blends together sweet technical riffs and powerful grooves, creating intriguing and easily recognizable tracks - and with much of Periphery's work being based off Misha's past solo work as Bulb, they have enough material to release an entire catalog of records. Periphery will be releasing two records in 2012, including a concept album and have also been signed as the opening act for Dream Theater's new tour beginning in January.

Periphery's other release includes their Icarus EP which came out this past year, featuring 4 new tracks, an alternate version of the track Jetpacks Was Yes! and fan remixes of their song Icarus Lives.

Jay's Take on Periphery:

Periphery's self-titled debut came in at number two on my list of favorite records in 2010, just behind the double release by The Ocean. Before even hearing this record, I actually got to see these guys perform live, as one of my friends local bands actually opened for them while on tour in Ottawa. Needless to say they left an impression, and had to get some more. The record features great tracks with a wide sweep of feels to each of them, from intense heavy riffage, to eloquent solos, or Spencer's vocal shifts between harsh screams and clean melodic highs. Each of the tracks of the record is distinct from each other, which gives everyone plenty of reason to declare why on track is their favorite in comparison to another, whether it's Icarus Lives, Buttersnips, Jetpacks or even the 15 minute epic Racecar - there's plenty to get your head around upon your first listen, let alone future run throughs. Both this and the Icarus EP featured some more classic tracks, for longtime fans of both Bulb and Periphery, showing how much room the band has to evolve, especially as their chosen brand of music has truly taken off in the past year.

Sample of the Day:



- J