I love talking about music, so today I thought I'd do a review of Periphery's third/fourth album, Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega. It came out back in late January, so I've had a lot of time to really listen to the album as a whole and songs individually out of context of the whole. In short, this is one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard. The album combines a fantastic and dark lyrical story with intertwining melodic themes for a listening experience that is almost cinematic in feel.
This a dark, dense album full of the technical wizardry and grooves that we know and love from Periphery. However, this is the mature version of Periphery, that takes it time and never sacrifices emotion or melody for the sake of complexity. I love how dark the lyrics are, talking about cults and mind control and the visions of hell and the afterlife. And the guitar and bass melodies always add to the lyrics, building up the haunting atmosphere and beautiful interludes. From the production side, this is one of the best albums from a production standpoint as well. The drums on this album sound huge without being overwhelming. The bass is more present than on previous albums, which makes every riff that much heavier. And while the guitar isn't as front and center as in previous albums, it sounds better in the context of the whole than ever before.
The highlights of the album are Alpha, 22 Faces, The Bad Thing, Preistess, Omega, and Stranger Things. And yes that is a lot of highlights. The 8-bit intro in Alpha is so catchy you'd swear it was from a video game, and the upbeat melodies of the first half contrast very nicely with the heavy riffing of the second half. 22 Faces is Periphery at its core, combining complex technical work with emotional phrasing. The chorus is maybe the best part on the entire album, due to the heavy rhythm, outstanding lead work, and Spencer's amazing, soaring vocals. The Bad Thing is classic Periphery, with the polyrhythms and djenty guitar work that Misha Mansoor is known for at its head-banging, grooviest best. The Preistess shows the softer side of Periphery, with beautiful acoustic guitar and Spencer taking a sadder, more somber tone than ever before. Omega is the epic 12 minute song that will have you questioning how someone is able to write a piece so long that hold your attention the whole time. And Stranger Things is the last, and greatest song on the album. Spencer is at his very best here, both in terms of distorted and clean vocals. His clean vocals are the most emotional he's ever put out, and his distorted vocals are the most raw and visceral he's ever done. The guitar work ranges from beautiful and haunting to pounding and crushing.
I think this is the best work Periphery's ever done, and one of the best metal albums ever. One of the problems with Periphery's previous albums was that most of the writing and production had come solely from Misha Mansoor. This was the first time it felt like all the different voices in the band had contributed equally. As such, it gives the album a variety and diversity in sound that is unequaled by other bands. This is album feels like the album Periphery was born to make. Give it a listen if you're into this sort of thing. I promise you won't regret it.