JUGGERNAUT: ALPHA

Periphery... a byword in the prog metal world. Hardly respected, easily brushed off by Anthony Fantano, not even listed on the Encyclopedia Metallum. You're left wondering just what could possibly be wrong with them...

... at least until you listen to this cold mess. First thing you'll realise is that the singer sounds like a mix of all the worst parts of metalcore and third wave emo vocals. Just juvenile sounding. Then there's the music, which is pretty much inoffensive and innocuous enough. Not a good thing. At best, it sounds decent but will probably bore. At worst, it just sounds like a rehash of already done metal tricks that were done better the first time, or even the first hundred times. This "juggernaut"'s title track, "Alpha", commits the worst musical sin of the album by having a completely out of place opening. Words can't describe just how weirdly this short opening section doesn't fit with the rest of the song, and the rest of the album. And I was promised by even some of the detractors that there were at least some interesting tonal experimentations within. Not there, so maybe, if we're lucky, the earlier releases oft described as guilty pleasures - including by fellow reviewer Gallifrey - has those. In fact, I'd say this has little prog or tech in it, and even scarce metalcore/djent influence beyond the horrid vocals. I can't say that most of the music is outright bad at all, but it's further away from good. Certainly nothing that can be called redeeming without my ears turning on me and throttling me to death. I would recommend that this be avoided at all costs.