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Periphery - Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega review



Reviewer:
6.0

147 users:
7.58
Band: Periphery
Album: Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega
Release date: January 2015


Disc I [Alpha]
01. A Black Minute
02. MK Ultra
03. Heavy Heart
04. The Event
05. The Scourge
06. Alpha
07. 22 Faces
08. Rainbow Gravity
09. Four Lights
10. Psychosphere

Disc II [Omega]
01. Reprise
02. The Bad Thing
03. Priestess
04. Graveless
05. Hell Below
06. Omega
07. Stranger Things

Disc III [Bonus DVD]
+ Juggerdoc
+ Bonus Content

Good news! Hot Topic has a new soundtrack! I was a little confused to see that Memphis May Fire had changed their name, but hey, new tr00 kvlt metal, amirite? Of course, I kid. In all seriousness though, I feel Periphery have made such a regression that it is hard to know where to begin.

Let's take a quick trip in my DeLorean to 2010. It seems like decades ago. A friend of mine posted a video of a little song called "Icarus Lives!" I was pretty blown away. In retrospect, it's not the greatest song ever or anything, but that riff and the low end made me feel funny in my pants. Two years later I was a big fan with both of their excellent LP's in my collection. I still play those album regularly.

So now it's 2015, and the concept album Misha has been talking up since maybe 2011 is finally out. With such a long wait, I was initially expecting to hear what would certainly enter my pantheon of favorite concept albums. Then they started to stream songs. One by one, my hopes were stepped on; the boot heel twisting by the 5th teaser. Full listens to the albums achieved no better results.

So what went wrong? For me, the problem lies mainly in the production and vocals. The guitars are still a decent enough selling point for me. From the lighter, cascading delay effects to the crunchier moments such as "MK Ultra," Periphery still knows where their bread and butter lies. The drums are equally well-played and each snare hit sounds alive. This is where my praise ends.

One of the first tracks I heard was "The Scourge." Certain moments sound like a failed attempt at Mars Volta vocals, frequently off key and over-reaching. Then there is "The Bad Thing:" standard metalcore fare noticeably over-similar to The Plot In You. Other songs sport stronger writing quite similar to that on Periphery II. The issue even with these is that the production is so poppy as to make me forget I am listening to what is supposed to be a metal record. A little experiment: go listen to "Immortals" (shudder) by Fall Out Boy and then listen to "Alpha" right after. I'll wait. You have to admit, the similarity is disturbingly striking.

Again, the vocals themselves are not always the issue. The catchy hooks on "Alpha" and odd favorite, "Heavy Heart," are well-constructed and sure to sell to a million new fans. I myself am a fan of one of the poppiest sounding concept bands out there: Coheed And Cambria. Claudio's vocals at times would be right at home on a Top 40 album. The difference is that the production choices C & C make lead to a darker, grittier sound. Alpha and Omega are so saccharine sweet in comparison that I think listening gave me diabetes.

To be fair, the other instruments make their share of missteps as well. Can I just say "Priestess"? I am fine with slower, more melodic songs, but this one made me throw up in my mouth a little with its sappy, generic sound. Then there are "Graveless" and "Hell Below;" tracks with djentier riffs than a Djentisaurus. For all of the flack Periphery takes regarding the genre, this was a huge step backwards from the usual level of variety showcased between the binary. And what the hell is with these bizarre outros?

There are a few successes to be found. "22 Faces" and "Stranger Things" sound like outtakes from Periphery II. The guitars are crushing and make some really cool transitions with fills and changes in groove. The drums are just epic with several pace changes and ear-catching patterns. For once the singing reaches close to the pop/metal threshold without crossing it. Melodies are strong, but the delivery is grittier and less nasal. "Rainbow Gravity" isn't half bad either with its proficient soloing and neo-classical inspired riffs. Then there is the lengthy "Omega." The various parts involved are more typical of the Periphery catalog, though I'm not sure they flow well enough to qualify as one song. But as good as these songs can be, don't expect anything on par with "MAKE TOTAL DESTROY."

In the end, Alpha and Omega are a big disappointment for me. There are some things that are still admirable about Periphery's musicianship, but the increase in pop sentiment is ultimately not for me. It's like Meshuggah and My Chemical Romance had a little bastard child, then Meshuggah left to "buy some cigarettes." Ultimately, I realize that it doesn't matter what I think. The pristine sound, catchy sing-alongs, and lovely packaging are all carefully constructed to sell this album to masses. I expect to see dozens of new fourteen year old fans and hear the next single on the radio sandwiched between New Found Glory and Slipknot. I guess everyone deserves a pay day.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 7
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 4

Written by flightoficarus | 13.02.2015




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Staff review by
Susan
Rating:
9.6
Juggernaut: Alpha and Omega are parts I and II of a crowning achievement in songwriting, storytelling, and performance. It is more emotional, more melodic, and far more jazz than anyone was expecting. Oh, it just oozes at times with a thick, dense jazz, which is kneaded into the metal music so well. But that's just one of many important ingredients.

Read more ››
published 21.01.2015 | Comments (28)


Comments

Comments: 6   Visited by: 71 users
13.02.2015 - 05:51
Rupert

So what exactly bothered you about the production? You seemed to only address songwriting and some performance issues. And then your rating breakdown points back to the production.
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13.02.2015 - 06:15
Rating: 7
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
I can see we have similar tastes regarding the band's releases, but I honestly don't think this was that much of a regression to warrant a rating of "average", even in spite of the hefty pop influences. That said, I'd take ole technical Periphery over this any day of the week.
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13.02.2015 - 06:38
Rating: 7
flightoficarus
Stamp Tramp
Written by Rupert on 13.02.2015 at 05:51

So what exactly bothered you about the production? You seemed to only address songwriting and some performance issues. And then your rating breakdown points back to the production.


Like I said, it's just too pristine. That may sound backwards, but it is possible to mar a record by making it too sharp and clean. There is just no edge to this at all. Plenty will eat this candy up, but it gave me a bellyache.
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13.02.2015 - 07:02
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by flightoficarus on 13.02.2015 at 06:38

Written by Rupert on 13.02.2015 at 05:51

So what exactly bothered you about the production? You seemed to only address songwriting and some performance issues. And then your rating breakdown points back to the production.


Like I said, it's just too pristine. That may sound backwards, but it is possible to mar a record by making it too sharp and clean. There is just no edge to this at all. Plenty will eat this candy up, but it gave me a bellyache.

Interesting, I thought the drums were somewhat suppressed in the whole mix. Maybe too many layers... In general, I think the sound is neither good nor bad. It's alright for this kind of music I guess.
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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21.02.2015 - 07:47
AssailantForce

They were not alien to pop to begin with as P1 and P2 had their poppy moments.
The production is a little disheartening but the review blows it out of proportion. The guitars no longer employ that thallic djenty tone. I can see how this would upset a djent fan but in all fairness, from the 4-5 tracks I've heard feels like they're going for a broader prog approach than a djent-centric one. You sound like you confused Juggernaut with Devin Townsend's - Epicloud.

The mass appeal... firstly, why are people so sensitive of a band they dig 'also' appealing to 14 year olds/newbies? It sounds like a clichéd pseudo-goth thing. Its understandable but not a mature approach. Secondly they didn't drastically change colours like Metallica or Machine Head or Korn to ride a trend wave. In fact this album is a small drift away from the djent trend. They must be stupid if this was their plan to 'sell' to newbies. Are they?

That FOB song 'Immortal' sounds nothing like 'Alpha' except the synth-like intro tune used similarly. The intro on Alpha sounds weak anyway, and so does the exaggerated FOB comparison. 'The Scourge' sounds unlike anything periphery achieved instrumentally, but I agree Spencers clean vocals fail to complement the doomy passages there. Odds are this may turn out to be my least favourite record yet by periphery, if there is no trace of that meshuggahcloneguitartone-riffery I loved on the previous records. But as the review too suggests, I feel they can't go wrong with songwriting.
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16.11.2015 - 06:08
Rating: 7
flightoficarus
Stamp Tramp
I'll be a bigger person and admit that months later I gave this another shot with fresh ears. It's better than I gave it credit for. Still a bit too close to some of the glamcore albums out there in sound at times for comfort, but done so much more proficiently, and goddam if it ain't catchy. I'll throw it somewhere between a 7 and 8.
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Daily underground metal recommendations at Metal Trenches.
Watch metal content on the Metal Trenches YouTube Channel.
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