Jude Benjamin

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Brutal, yet intensely smart, listening to Periphery is the musical equivalent of lying in the bath with your head buried in a book on advanced trigonometry and repeatedly slamming the cover shut on your face.

The brainchild of producer and guitarist, Misha Mansoor, Periphery have been leading the charge in the progressive metal scene for the past 14 years. What initially began as a solo endeavour, over time expanded into a finely curated line-up of virtuoso musicians.

Perpetually challenging the perceptions of metal and the limits of modern music arrangement, Periphery are consistently one giant leap ahead of the curve. Their last album, casually titled Periphery IV: Hail Stan, continued their progression from the deep, chugging Djent riffery reminiscent of Meshuggah and SikTh; into purveyors of epic opuses: embracing ambient soundscapes supported by Misha’s increasing interest in synth and orchestral arrangements. And why not?

Admittedly, this band might not be everyone’s carbon-neutral cup of Bubble Tea, but if you dig the likes of Animals as Leaders, Tesseract and Monuments, chances are Periphery are already on your playlist. If your ventures into the eclectic world of progressive metal still have you exercising your neck muscles to Dream Theatre and Tool, now might be the chance to expand your horizons and grab yourself a glimpse of one of the most aggressively unyielding acts still making waves across the scene today.