Review: Periphery - Clear EP

Periphery are Prog-Metal masters, that there is no denying. With two great full-lengths under their belt (and an excellent E.P), Periphery have grown to be a band to look out for. With that in mind, there has been a lot of high expectations for their newest E.P. And it delivers on many levels. It's a difficult thing to describe when you listen to Periphery. Awesome? Amazing? Mindblowing? Well, they're all three of them. Mixing Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal together is a tough and daring thing to do and is something few bands before have ever attempted. For those who have, they never turn out all to good. However, Periphery have mastered the daring blend with expert perfection. This is a band who knows exactly what they are doing, how to do it and how to get it across to other people. It's inspiring and the band deserve the credit they get for what they do. Everything is done with expert precision and the talented musicianship is hard to ignore. Even if you don't like the band, you can not deny their talent.

Because this is Periphery, you know what to expect but not how it's going to sound. They're a band that is able to surprise with their growing musicianship and natural talent that is showcased upon every single release. 'Clear' starts off with a beautiful instrumental ('Overture') that is calm and melodic. It is soothing to hear and you wait for the kick-in. That arrives with 'The Summer Jam'. To describe this song you need to imagine catchy Punk Rock bands such as Bowling For Soup and The Offspring yet the riffing and drumming is heavier, more technical and a little on the verge of insane. It's odd to hear but yet it's catchy and downright terrific. It works to the very last millisecond. The talent is clear (no pun intended), showing how they can easily blend all styles of music into one and not make it seem forced, boring or repetitive, a marvel even by today's music standards. 

The E.P delves deeper into downright mesmerizing with tracks 'Feed The Ground', 'Zero', 'The Parade Of Ashes' and 'Extraneous'. What makes every track so different yet still amazing is how different they all are from each other. Each track (with the exception of 'Overture') is written by a different member of the band, which adds more diversity and helps make sure that each track is unique. The different time signatures, riffs, song structures are something of a marvel, executed perfectly. The E.P ranges from upbeat Rock to heavy-as-hell Metalcore, and that is within one song. That is what makes this band so different from the rest. The diversity within each song is beyond anything any ordinary human mind could ever think of. And it works perfectly, forever keeping you engaged and constantly blowing your mind. It's sure to make your head spin and dazzle you as much as it may confuse you. 

The feeling you get from such a band is hard to describe. It's something that you NEED to hear yourself. Only then can you understand how brilliant this E.P is. The instruments are utterly fantastic, with standard Rock beats and guitars being turned up to eleven and increasingly being spiced up to make sure it has your utmost attention. You get a terrific mix of progressive Rock beats to Djent-styled riffing and hard-hitting breakdowns. It's a marvellous treat that works well together. Another thing to mention is the terrific guitar solo in 'The Parade Of Ashes'. If there is one thing on this album that will make you feel the most emotion, it is that solo. Yes, there are other solos but none are as good and well executed as that one. It has to be one of the greatest solo's in a long while, with only few bands being able to craft solo's as good as that. 

Another high point of this album is the vocals. They range from excellent Rock vocals to intense and jaw-dropping screams and growls. Spencer's range is downright incredible. This guy can reach high notes that are epic in measure and full of power. He doesn't sound like some little girl shouting down a microphone (ahem, Kellin Quinn) but instead charges his vocals to full power and gives the performance of a lifetime. Few vocalists can go from creating devastating growls and screams to suddenly singing with power and passion the way that Spencer can. In fact, I think it's been a long while since I've heard any vocals as incredible and sharp as his. This guy has a voice which only a master craftsman himself could have. It is... just monumental.

I genuinely have no idea how to sum this up. I've tried my hardest to explain the sound and the feelings conveyed throughout this album however I still can't give it justice enough. This is something you should, no NEED, to experience yourself. Even as a Periphery fan, you haven't heard anything like this before. This is a band that is consistent and only ever getting better as the time passes by. I'd love to say that this is their peak but at the same time, I hope it isn't because I know that these guys have probably only just begun to amaze us. This has been one heck of a difficult review to write but that may be just because this is one heck of an album. Before I finish up, I thought I should show you what I mean by the different styles incorporated by showing you who wrote each song. Seriously, there's no wonder why this is as great, as diversified and as addictive as this. So, here's the track-listing and who wrote what song on this album:

1. Overture
2. The Summer Jam (Written by guitarist Jake Bowen)
3. Feed The Ground (Written by drummer Matt Halpern)
4. Zero (Written by guitarist Misha Mansoor)
5. The Parade Of Ashes (Written by vocalist Spencer Sotelo)
6. Extraneous (Written by bassist Adam 'Nolly' Getgood, whom also produced the E.P)
7. Pale Aura (Written by guitarist Mark Holcomb)

Yep, each member wrote a song each. That's something downright incredible, no wonder this thing is so damn good. Oh wait, before I finish up (again), I want you look out for the hints of 'Overture' that appear throughout the rest of the E.P. You may not notice it at first but trust me, it's there. Again, something that is small yet amazing, making it feel like every song kind of continues or relates to the previous track. No THAT is musicianship ladies and gentleman. I bid you farewell and URGE you to listen to this. You shall not be disappointed.

10/10

- Asa

Review: Ingested - Revered By No-One, Feared By All

Ingested, for those who do not know, are a UK based Brutal Death Metal band. Although they are still an underground band, over the years they have developed a die-hard fan base and stirred up a few storms with each new release. Hailed by critics alike, they're a band that only ever gets better with each release. If you want proof, go listen to their 2011 slammer 'The Surreption' before listening to this. From making one of the best Death Metal albums in recent memory back in 2011 to improving on an E.P a few years later is quite the achievement. But for Ingested, it seems like no big deal. Like it was always going to happen. With the we-don't-care attitude they apparently have towards people who try and degrade them and their music, it's clear why more and more people are getting hooked onto one of the scene's best bands.

Starting off this brutal, four track assault is 'Titanomachy'. This is straight up, no-holds-barred brutality, that flows so freely. If you know the band then you can hear a change in production quality. The drumming is tighter, even more intense, the guitars slam harder than a brick to the face and the bass is so damn heavy that your jaw dropping would be the least of your worries. However, the biggest change is the vocals. They're firmer and more ferocious. They were pretty astonishing on 'The Surreption' but they've improved further here. The highs are more solid and have improved so much more, the lows are even lower and more terrifying than Satan himself and the range has improved even more. This is a sign of great things to come and shows that the band are serious about what they do and try to impress upon each bit of new material they release. And damn, they do just that. Next up is 'Regicide', a song that flows so smoothly after the first track that you hardly notice that it is the second track from this four track affair. This song slams harder than the first, somehow being even faster and more technical than before. It's down right amazing to listen and will get you tearing around your room like a cat on catnip in no time. Then, next thing you know, 'Uncrowned' begins with blast beats, fast riffing and one kick ass "EUGH!".

From that point on, the track only ever slows down to produce some seriously devastating riffs. Not to mention the breakdown part that feels like they just started to sand your face off. This is brutal riffs and blast beats galore, giving the drummer and guitarists a seriously intense workout. If you're still somehow breathing after this track then brace yourselves for the closing track. 'Endgame' was the first song they released for the album and it's... well, it's impressive. It has some unique drumming patterns in it to kinda deviate away from straight up blast beats and double bass pedals. And then there is the one part where it slows down to produce bone-crunching riffage, the likes in which are hard to find. The track ends as soon as it began, finishing one of the most brutal pieces of work in 2013.

It's impressive and an even bigger step forward for the band. If you're a fan of bands such as Aborted, Abominable Putridity and Amputated then this is a band you NEED to check out. They really are now 'Surpassing The Boundaries Of Human Suffering', pounding you into dust with every second of this brutal E.P. This has become by far one of my most loved releases of 2013, with only Strychnia being the other Death Metal band to surpass them with excellent Death Metal releases, saying something seeming as greats such as Gorguts, Vulvectomy and Death Metal big hitters Suffocation all released material within that same year. Yep, this is damn huge and I demand that if you like heavy, brutal and fast Metal than you need to go pick up a copy of this. Who knows what they'll release next but, whatever it may be, I'm most certainly going to pick it up. This is just... magnificent. Ingested, I think you're going places.

10/10

- Asa