Review by Adam M on March 22, 2016.

Periphery’s take on djent is a wonder to behold. It combines the hardcore sections with gleaming clean sections in a seamless manner. The vocalist who juxtaposes these styles takes some getting used to, but once you do, the music on this double disc is incredibly memorable. The transition from a more metalcore band to the current version that portrays clean sections in such a fine fashion is a huge one and Periphery needs to be credited for it.

Once you let the music sink in for a while, the melodies become clearer and this album becomes a monster of a listen. There are moments on this disc that are very catchy such as the chorus in the title track Alpha. The moments will be replaying in your mind over and over again. This album is perhaps the one from last year that I most remember portions of songs and hear them replaying in my head. There is certainly some complexity to these songs, but the band never drifts into over-indulgence at any point. The songs are nicely balanced and never over-emphasize the harsher or cleaner sections too much. This leads to an album that is versatile and always fits the proper mood or moment. There really is just as much dynamics as what you could expect from a classic Opeth album here. The finished product ends up being both pleasing and enduring and hard-wires itself to your veins.

You’ll want to dig back into the discography of this band to uncover more gems, but I believe this is the band’s masterwork. It makes use of modernity in a cool way that is totally original and unforgettable. Juggernaut: Alpha and Omega is easily one of the best albums of the year 2015 and something you need to hear. Make room for Periphery in your disc catalog.

Rating: 9 out of 10