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In 2005 a collective arrived on the scene who were so forward-thinking and innovative that they revolutionised the landscape of the world of metal. PERIPHERY are widely regarded as being highly influential to a lot of the progressive and tech-metal bands we now see today, with a hugely impressive back catalogue that rarely (if at all) experiences a misstep. Speaking of which, double album Juggernaut: Alpha and Omega are celebrating their ten year anniversary this year. A monumental effort which was years in the making and was certainly worth the wait.
The Juggernaut concept was already rattling around in the brain of mastermind Misha Mansoor before their debut album even surfaced, with the iconic track Icarus Lives being part of the initial concept. In 2015, his vision was finally realised and it was the first time that all members had a collaborative input, including the album being completely self produced. It also helps massively when your bassist happens to be audio engineer and producer extraordinaire Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood. As seen in the in-depth Juggerdoc documentary, the band painstakingly sifted through a mountain of amps and pedals in search of the perfect tone.
What was even more impressive about this release was the overarching conceptual theme, which, to this day, is still a much-discussed topic with many fans offering their own remarks and opinions as they try to fully unravel the narrative. Frontman Spencer Sotelo offered an overview of the concept in a 22 Questions segment with All Things Periphery where he discussed being inspired by the cult storyline in True Detective.
The story begins with a child being born into a satanic cult who is then brainwashed into obeying their demands. As he grows older he develops a conscience, questioning their motives and takes his opportunity to escape. During his newfound freedom he struggles to acclimatise to the pressures and expectations of every day life and returns to the cult. After being punished and demoted to prison guard for his betrayal he becomes seduced by a Priestess who was imprisoned after her failed attempt to escape. Before he can break her out she is executed, filled with rage he seeks vengeance, murdering cult members before taking his own life. He awakens in the afterlife, in hell due to the life he has lived. After considerable reflection, he repents for his wrongdoings and is reborn.
The thematics are brilliantly woven into the soundscape with Sotelo‘s stunning vocal range, the three pronged riff attack of Mansoor, Mark Holcomb and Jake Bowen, the masterfully crafted rhythmic prowess of drummer Matt Halpern and all tied together by bassist/producer Getgood. Alpha and Omega experience soaring brightness and crushing heaviness to perfectly portray the inner turmoil of the protagonist. The early chapters MK Ultra and Heavy Heart are a shining example of the expertly executed juxtaposition of mood, tone and lyrical direction.
For example, excerpts “Innocent babe, shall we corrupt at such a young age” and “Sometimes I wish I had wings. Fly far away from this life” assist in bringing this deep, expansive narrative to life. In multiple interviews PERIPHERY have also admitted to scattering many easter eggs throughout both albums, some in the shape of reprised soundbytes, recurring ambience and lyrical crossovers. One of many instances is the title tracks sharing a lyrical segment as the chorus of Alpha is reprised in the latter stages of Omega.
Alpha and Omega were intended to be released shortly after 2012’s Periphery II but due to a variety of factors including touring commitments and the increasing complexity of their undertaking they were delayed. To tide the fans over until they could get Juggernaut sewn up they released an EP entitled Clear. This entailed each member of the band being creative director for their own individual tracks which resulted in a broad spectrum of output that allowed their unique influences to shine through.
The Juggernaut duo are still adored and revered as some of PERIPHERY‘s finest work, with tracks like Stranger Things and The Scourge still experiencing regular rotation in recent setlists. They also still stand strong as their highest charting releases in both the US and UK alongside follow-up Periphery III: Select Difficulty. It was also critically well received with Metal Hammer‘s Dom Lawson describing PERIPHERY as “the dark and dense yin to TESSERACT’s ethereal yang” as well as stating that the “double album sprawl hits so many sublime highs and throws up so many unexpected, pristine mutations that it has ‘era-defining milestone’ etched into its very essence”.
Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega was originally released on January 27th, 2015 via Sumerian Records/Century Media Records.
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