Racecar

The year 2010 brought the release of progressive-metal outlet Periphery’s debut album, the self-titled Periphery I - a boisterous and peculiarly captivating display of surging guitar riffs, invasive vocals, and a specific style of play that seemingly “dragged djent from the virtual world into the real one” [1].

The term ‘djent’, spoken as if the first two letters were fused together, was first used to describe the sound of the Swedish metal band Meshuggah, but on potentially coining the term, Periphery guitarist Misha Mansoor has said, “I just saw it as the name for a palm-muted chord, but now it has popped up as a genre… It’s surprising” [2]. And while the reliability of the term has now consisted of heavy debates and memes, there is no dispute that Periphery I finds its lasting place within the genre.

While the 74 minute album may at first just sound like a vulgar display of power (heh), hidden behind the clamoring screams of Spencer Sotello are layers of well-thought-out, carefully crafted melodies that bring together the very essence of ‘prog metal’. Perhaps the song that showcases this most accurately is the 15 minute epic, “Racecar”, that closes out the album in triumphant fashion.

The song opens with a shimmering clean guitar melody, but just as quickly meets the aggressive chords of ‘djent’, commencing a headbanging groove that runs cooly before meeting an abrupt end. Violent vocals come in over sweeping chords and double-bass pedal driven drums, and introduce us to the grittiness of Periphery. But in a song powered by spontaneous, ever-changing riffs, we’re soon flooded with an array of sounds, textures, and intricacies that can only be appreciated entirely when isolated.

One of my personal favorite riffs comes in at 1:28, a seesawing melody that bounces along the low string. Fifteen seconds later, at 1:45, arguably the most bizarre riff begins, which almost sounds like it belongs in jazz fusion. Here we again see these fast, sweeping melodies that would cramp my left hand in seconds. The segment finishes at 2:12, crescendoing back into the earlier riff, Sotello’s vocal range showcased over the cries of “…We both need it so. Time will give way.” The section is emotional, and sets the stage for the remainder of the song, as we’re then introduced to what you could consider the “chorus”.

Then, at 3:25, the song makes a sharp turn, diving into a peaceful and jazz driven solo that takes us away from the severity of before, and for the moment, calms us. The drums during this section are among my favorite in the song, specifically the fill at 3:48 (my god). But again, we’re suddenly brought back into the noise.

Continuing on in similar fashion, the song takes its most abrupt and harsh turn at 5:46, when the vocals run rampant for a time, venturing more toward death metal than prog. But you’ve heard enough now to expect another change, right? Right back into another groovy djent riff we go, a cool hesitating effect present at 6:20 (one of my favorites). The song follows pattern, my absolute favorite drum line in the song coming in at 7:22, until it finally reaches what I consider the turning point of the song, and arguably my favorite segment of a song, ever.

At 9:10, we are brought into a section featuring the similar palm muted strums, this time laced with pinch harmonics (on the low string, mind you… guitarists, you know how difficult that is), that flows into, at 9:30, yet another djent-defining riff. And then, at 10:20, a jaw-dropping guitar solo begins that never fails to give me goosebumps. Watch the linked video to see just how nuts that solo is. And as if that wasn’t enough already, the song peaks at 11:00, with Sotello’s shouts of “I see… REGRET!” The lyrics are haunting:

I see regret, I've awakened

To feel a piece of distant past harmony

How could I not see

Possibilities and unlimited passion

Hello luminescent being

Walking outside of my lost identity

Celebrate

For in the end, we will meet in equality

The song continues to build toward its final moment, and finally, at 12:42, calming guitar melodies take you away from the madness, and introduce the climax. Triumphant chords play over the cries of “I see light, I see light in your eyes”, with marching drum beats taking us to the final destination: the intro riff, once again, this time fading into nothing.

“Racecar” needs to be listened to multiple times to be the most impactful. With every listen you’ll hear something new, a guitar line you didn’t catch before or a drum fill you passed over. It truly is an intimidating, difficult-to-crack epic that deserves its respect in its own right within the ‘djent’ genre, but also showcases the actual skill and musicianship that is often overlooked as “too scary and too noisy”. Even if djent and progressive metal isn’t your cup of tea, I truly believe that “Racecar” is one of the most well-crafted songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.

[1], [2]: Djent, the metal geeks microgenre. The Guardian. Retrieved July 16th, 2019.