Weekly Update #1 – January 14, 2024

FEATURED ALBUM
Periphery // Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre
Released: March 10, 2023

Periphery is so good that it’s genuinely unfair to other bands. Each member is in the top 1% of their respective profession, and not just in terms of their skill, but also in their ability to push boundaries and create something completely novel.

This is their second album in a row to have a humorous title, but it’s also a topical reminder of how much Periphery has evolved since their debut in 2010. “Icarus Lives” and “Jetpacks Was Yes” were revolutionary tracks in 2010, but Periphery has expanded so far beyond that djenty stereotype.

“Wildfire” was my favorite song of 2023 and “Atropos” wasn’t too far behind. Spencer Sotello’s range is phenomenal and he infuses his vocals with so much character – it really boosts the immersive feeling of the music.

This is a long album – 9 songs, 70 minutes. It’s apparent that the band had a vision for each track, and the album has a noticeable ebb and flow. Starts heavy, has some subdued songs in the middle, and picks up again at the end. I normally criticize slower songs, but tracks like “Dying Star” are grand in their own way.

The only substantial criticism I have is the number of outros. 6 of the 9 songs are over seven minutes long and they each have an unnecessary outro that interrupts the flow and bloats the album.

THROWBACK ALBUM
Texas In July // Reflections
Released: July 23, 2013

I’ve been listening to Texas In July’s early material on repeat this week. Aptly named, their album titled ‘Reflections’ is a compilation of all of their early songs. This was back when their instrumentals were similar to August Burns Red. The gritty, raw production is so cool – it really added to the band’s character. The vocals were also super unique, had a lot of variety, and carried the aggression into the rolling breakdowns.

Favorite songs: Hook, Line, and Sinner, It’s Not My First Rodeo, Fair Fight, There’s Talk of Strange Folk Abroad

Playlist of New Songs

Quick playlist highlights:

– Bring Me The Horizon continue to impress. Very excited for their new album (expected in Summer of 2024). GRAMMAR POLICE: the line “But you should of known” should be “But you should have known.”

– Reflections has been busy lately. They’re remastering their 2014 album ‘Exist’ and have a new single out too. Vocalist Jake Wolf also just released a deathcore album under his side project band called Surgeon.

– Fit For A King has been on the verge of becoming a Sirius Octane band for the last few years, but this single is pretty solid. What happened to Tuck (their bassist) singing though? Kirby is decent, but Tuck is infinitely better and he’s been missing in action on recent releases.

– Vildhjarta released three singles in 2023 and they are stellar. Absolutely crushing atmosphere.

– Livealie is the side project of Oceans Ate Alaska’s vocalist (James Harrison).

– Alluvial has my favorite release of the year so far. It’s still early, but this is excellent. Exactly what I was hoping for after their 2021 album.

– Issues put out a new single as they prepare for their farewell shows. Not metalcore at all, but damn, it’s pretty catchy. I really wonder what the calculation was to call it quits. Yeah, Tyler Carter was 80% of the band’s identity, but they could definitely get by with this sound.

– Ameonna is Alex Koehler’s (original vocalist of Chelsea Grin) new band. Song sounds good. Hopefully he has overcome his demons and continues making music.

Drama

Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) posted his new signature guitar for $1,499. Yeah, it’s a razor blade. Dude is trying way too hard to be edgy.

People are split on their opinions. Some correctly point out that razor blades have been a part of metal culture for a long time (see Judas Priest’s album cover of ‘British Steel’) while others think MGK is taking advantage of teens with mental health / self-harm issues. No matter where you land, I think we can all agree that the guitar is hideous.