Periphery

Pomegranate Tiger – All Input Is Error Review

By Iceberg on September 3, 2023 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 37 comments

“After nearly a decade’s hiatus, Pomegranate Tiger resurface to bring their brand of heady instrumental prog to the cerebellums of the masses. Hailing from Ontario in the Great White North, Martin Andres’ passion project made a splash in 2013 with debut album Entities, and after 2015 follow-up Boundaries he chose to join forces as a touring musician with province-mates Oni. Emerging from an extended hibernation, All Input Is Error sees Andres returning to Pomegranate Tiger as a certified one-man band tackling humanity’s inevitable slide towards The Singularity.” Crouching tiger, hidden restraint.

Periphery – Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre Review

By Thus Spoke on March 6, 2023 in Reviews, 60 comments

“Djent is not a Genre. Whatever you say. I will add a comment I’ve seen on social media, however, that Periphery really missed a trick when they didn’t call this Djent is not a Djenre. If you’re going for self-aware comedy, at least lean in. Periphery V is in fact the band’s seventh full-length, due to the break in the timeline that was double-album release Juggernaut Alpha/Omega. Their quirkiness extends beyond the fun, self-referential titles to a hyperactive approach to progressive metalcore that makes tech death feel sensible.” Djangled.

Monuments – In Stasis Review

By Dear Hollow on April 18, 2022 in Reviews, Djent, Metalcore, 52 comments

“To my credit, I was prepared. For those who enter the prog trailer park via that sketchy patch of woods at the back called “djent,” the polyrhythm abusers can be easier to spot. Futuristic-looking album covers, scientific names, and vaguely mathematic monikers like Structures, Tesseract, Volumes, and Intervals greet the eyes – or Monuments, in this case.” Escape from 2003.

Haunted Shores – Void Review

By Carcharodon on March 10, 2022 in Reviews, Death Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, 15 comments

“Washington, D.C. progressive instrumental duo Haunted Shores returns after a seven-year absence with second full-length, Void. This is the follow-up to 2015 EP, Viscera, and 2011’s self-titled debut album. Haunted Shores members Mark Holcomb and Misha Mansoor are better known as members of Periphery, where both handle guitars and Mansoor is also responsible for programming, synthesizers, orchestration and drums. And once you know that, you can’t unhear Periphery in what the duo turn out.” Crawling eyes and void fanciers.

WAIT – The End of Noise Review

By Kenstrosity on February 9, 2022 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, 24 comments

“Time WAITs for no sponge. This apparently holds true for my unfortunate green friend to my left, the sands of time quite literally gushing out of his be-hourglassed noggin. The oddly disturbing artwork depicting this surreal injury translates to the weird and wacky, grungy prog-death stylings of Baltimore’s WAIT (short for We are in Transit). A supergroup of sorts, the trio pulls from the pool of live performers who jammed for acts ranging from Cynic to Defeated Sanity to Obscura, so it comes as no surprise to me that debut album The End of Noise promises to be a twisted and technical affair.” Difficult commute.

Nothing Noble – Modern Dismay Review

By Dear Hollow on August 5, 2021 in Reviews, Djent, Metalcore, 8 comments

“I’m not sure how everyone got their start with metal, but there had to be a bit of a transition to the more extreme stuff, unless you eat nails for breakfast while listening to Cryptopsy’s None So Vile. Unlike you sausage or oatmeal or vegemite shippers who are descended from the yesteryears of heavy, thrash, or doom, I enjoy my eggs with my bacon: my origins of Christian metalcore a la Demon Hunter, Haste the Day, and Oh Sleeper stick with me. While metalcore has not been the kindest to me thus far in 2021, I’m always rooting for any that may wander across my lap like a feral kitten. Is Nothing Noble available for adoption?” Dismay Day.

Juggernaut – Neuroteque Review

By Dear Hollow on October 16, 2019 in 2019, Ambient Metal, Avante Garde, Drone, Folk, Italian Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Space Metal, Subsound Records, Drone, Folk, Sludge Metal, 14 comments

“When you hear about certain genres, do you have an image that pops into your head? It’s not always fair, but the most obvious one is black metal. You just got an image of a corpsepainted weeboo hanging out in a dark forest. Boom. I’m a fucking magician. What about sludge? Did you see a backwoods redneck with a twelve-gauge and a six-pack? Sporting beards, greasy locks, and enough flannel to challenge Saskatchewan?” Not your hick uncle’s sludge.

Haken – Vector Review

By Angry Metal Guy on October 26, 2018 in 2018, Djent, English Metal, InsideOut, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Djent, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 116 comments

“My introduction to the band was on The Mountain, which found the band dropping incredible songs with deeply creative compositions and amazing performances. But The Mountain‘s follow-up—Affinity—has never really established itself in my listening rotation. Unfortunately, while Affinity was full of ideas I loved and things I appreciated intellectually, it was like the girl who’s “perfect” for you but that you can’t get into. So I’ll admit mild consternation when Vector arrived. I wondered if Vector would continue in Affinity’s footsteps or if Haken had stayed on the move.” Moving and remaking.

Gaia – Aerial Review

By GardensTale on September 21, 2018 in 2018, Indian Metal, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Metalcore, Progressive Metal, 54 comments

“I like reviewing underdogs. Every now and then you run into an album that seems to have everything against it, yet a nagging feeling remains that if they just do everything right, it might be lightning in a bottle. Enter Gaia, brainchild of young multi-instrumentalist Abhiruk Patowary from New Delhi.” Open bottle, prepare for shocks.

Circles – The Last One Review

By Kronos on September 9, 2018 in 2018, Australian Metal, Djent, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Season of Mist, Djent, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, 91 comments

“Circles’ textured approach to prog metal recalls the moodiness and energy of Fates Warning within the context of a post-djent landscape where six-string guitars and straight rhythms are seen as passé. Yet success stirs in their artful and sensitive exploration of space, whether they’re marching through angular hardcore, tip-toeing across delicate electronics, or bobbing in subtle waves. Like many modern, progressive-leaning rock/metal bands, they bring elements of Periphery-worship on their journey but deploy them so intelligently that at times The Last One becomes greater than its individual components.” Always sphere for you.