It would seem that the age old adage has once again been proven right and that good things do indeed come in three’s. Having visited us previously in April, Periphery began their Juggernaut attack on a one off date. Since then the band have been touring the world over in support of the new album. Though quite before we can get to the on stage antics of the innovators the stage will be set by another.
[date]November 19th 2015[/date]
[venue]Koko[/venue]
[city]London[/city]
[support_bands]Veil Of Maya, Good Tiger[/support_bands]
Originally scheduled for a 7:30 kick off, stage times are pushed back and for good reason as the snaking queue goes right around the block of a now sold out Koko. As the house music slowly churns out cheesy eighties pop slowly but surely the venue is filling. With three bands inherently different yet incredibly similar sharing the stage tonight batting first is Good Tiger. Having just released their debut album A Head a Full of Moonlight, for those who don’t know the band they are a relative feast of talent made up of the demise of The Safety Fire and The Faceless.
Nevertheless there is no doubting that the first through to the front know the ins and outs of this band. Demolishing their Indiegogo campaign in a mere twenty four hours the band have been somewhat of a buzzword of late. At last bursting on stage the band start things off with “All Her Own Teeth” wasting no time at all the band collectively act as one. A feast for the eyes making for a fantastically entertaining performance with both guitarists Derya Nagle and Jo Ardiles flanking each side of the elastic singer Elliot Coleman the band are working just as they should. Anchored by the rhythmic weight of both Alex Rudinger and Morgan Sinclair who ensure that though the band might be tremolo happy retain the sense of body. With a brief respite the band launch back into the fray with “I Paint What I See“, deciding to come down to the level of the crowd Coleman is a charismatic and ultimately fantastic performer tonight. Thinking perhaps the band might not have had as many supporters it’s clear to see the fast growing crowd tells no lies.
Asking if they would like to hear the first ever song the band released the band charge head first into “Snake Oil“. A fantastic snapshot of what makes this band hot to trot, dissonant chords are anchored with a fantastic chorus hook as members bounce off each other (literally) on stage. With such energy in their delivery and oozing charisma it’s hard to dislike the band. As a blistering solo flies past from our Derya Nagle the song comes to a close but it’s “Aspirations” that absolutely blows previous tracks away hitting their stride with Coleman’s hooks bigger than that of the classic Peter Pan villain the band have it locked down. An encapsulation of the excitement felt in the room tonight, helped by their brilliant sound ton it each instrument positively sings. Only just beginning their life cycle in the wake of an end also comes a new beginning and with this energetic, beguiling and simply brilliant performance the band have been more than a Good Tiger tonight…
Moving into a heavier direction Veil of Maya approach the stage, having released their brand new female heroine themed album Matriarch earlier this year the band have made a triumphant comeback. Welcoming for the first time Lukas Magyar to the stage the UK crowd greets the band as they tear into the first three barrages of “Nyu” and “Leeloo” but it’s when the band unleash “Ellie” that we see just why they chose Magyar as their spokesperson. Delivering air tight choruses coupled with the melodic guitar undertones the band begin to kick it up a notch. Seeing the crowd decidedly mental, security are pushed to the front to save thefast firing crowd surfers as the spill out into the pit area. However this with the arrival of single “Mikasa” that the Koko go berserk. Once again the humongous hooks in the chorus lead for this to be one of the highlights of the band’s set, with the quartet’s sounding working in tandem with one another the band thrive off the energy of their fans pushing them further.
As exciting as the new age of Veil of Maya might be however there is also the band’s back catalogue. Nearing the end of their performance the band pull out the big guns with old classic “It’s Not Safe To Swim Today” which no doubt most are here to enjoy. Interesting to see how Magyar himself pulls off the track, sonically the band are up to date with their schizophrenic palm mutes darting all over the place with the light show being slightly better than our feline counterparts previously the band no doubt have delivered a triumphant set together showing that the new era of Veil of Maya is one of definite excitement.
Releasing their most ambitious work yet, Periphery are the voice of a new generation. Particularly tonight we see a multitude of young Metal heads awaiting the band’s arrival. Able to appeal to both demographic’s the older sect are further back in the Koko drinking in the atmosphere of these Proto Prog pioneers. Envisioning what would no doubt be the digital collapse of civilisation, “Masamune” come “Ragnarok” is the aural equivalent of the crack in the Earth the band speak of in the latter half of Juggernaut. With singer Spencer Sotelo‘s ear shattering pipes on full blast tonight the immortal scream of “ourselves!” can be heard galaxies over. Being made up of many the stage can get decidedly busy yet Mark Holcomb holds his own and dances between Bowen and Getgood, whilst of course having the drum powerhouse Halpern manning the wheel, each member knows exactly when to stay back and when it calls for unity making breakdowns of Alpha banger “Pschosphere” just as devastating as it is on record.
Not only does the stage dynamic do nothing but enhance the band but their contagious charisma brings every fan from the front to the very back into the world of hijinks and fun that is Periphery. Contrary to most band’s the group don’t take themselves too seriously yet still deliver absolute storming tracks like earth rattling “Icarus Lives” which would no doubt have TFL wondering what all that banging was upstairs… With the sheer amount of material presented on the double album the band cherry pick some of the best tracks, with the storytelling mystique of “The Scourge” to the battering of “Graveless“. No doubt the Omega sections of the set see the band enter heavier territory. Regardless of what era we might be hearing from the band from the general consensus in the crowd the band can do no wrong.
Ending on the 8bit running of “Alpha” we come to the final section of tonight’s performance. Once again it seems that the light show is close to stealing the audiences hearts with the absolutely fantastic layout mirroring exactly the pit stop palm mutes to the soaring solos. With a moments respite where the crowd seem to decide to sit down as you would in a Slipknot capacity yet in a rather more peaceful fashion the introductionary chords of “Stranger Things” ring out the stage is set for the band’s finale. Easily one of the highlights of the band’s new album the track is a testament to the fierce evolution that Periphery have adopted. Renown for their live presence coupled with their meticulous technicality Periphery straddle between the charismatic, the terrifying and downright revolutionary. As the end of 2015 comes to a close we can safely say that if by the looks of it the band are spearheading the new age of Metal head we are in incredibly capable hands.
