One of the catchiest Prog Metal albums I have listened to ever, this thing got HOOKS for days. A straight to the point set of songs that, while giving up the usual lengths and sprawling sections of standard Prog Metal albums, it still doesn't lose its edge and I feel benefits from the songs being shorter and less expansive. So many awesome sections that really worm their way into your ears. Buttery smooth production making this so consumable and only gets better on repeat listens. Well and ... read more

Good lord what a snooze fest. This feels like the same album they have been releasing for the past few years but it has been slowly regressing into nothingness. I love Myles and Mark but I am genuinely thinking they have run out of ideas and things to say that mean anything. At least it's produced nicely and there are riffs that are decent but this is where I jump off the copium wagon of thinking these elite musicians can produce something of substance through this project.

This feels like Justin Bieber's SWAG without any of the experimental aspects or the interesting decisions. Supremely safe album of moody tracks that don't really convince me that he's all that torn up about the break up he is speaking about. I have always WANTED to like Laroi and his music but outside from some very nice vocal lines and catchy tracks from the past I am probably not going to connect with his work as much as his direct fanbase or even the casual listener.

Whilst I didn't mind the EP, I can't help but ask why they did it? They dropped an album last year, then an extended version of said album and now wanted to go another round I guess? I mean it's short, produced well and the songs have the bite that was to be expected from them so I am not necessarily complaining but in the grand scheme I wasn't all that involved with it. It leaves almost as fast as it starts and I gained almost nothing but maybe a song or two in the playlist.

FryDaRetrospective - Pierce the Veil's Discography

The comeback we all awaited. One they evolved almost completely in. I didn't mind Pass The Nirvana and it prepared me for the evolution of their sound but it didn't prevent me from finding this a decidedly average project. All the songs felt like they were very safe and float in one ear and out the other without so much as a single impression. I have bumped it multiple times through the years and it always fails to connect. ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Pierce the Veil's Discography

A huge quality dip in my eyes. Even after returning to it through the years I found this to be very hard to listen to outside of The Divine Zero. Another victim of the 2016 production bug didn't help and the songs just really didn't resonate with me which hurt me to my core as I had just discovered the band not two years before this album. A lot of the songs feel disjointed and almost rushed/thrown together in a way where they ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Pierce the Veil's Discography

A masterful piece of work. This album is so important to the genre and alternative music as a whole. The song writing is incredible, especially in their chorus work. I found they have a tendency to extend choruses in later parts of the songs which scratched a brain itch I never knew I had. No skips, every song stands on its own as a classic packed with raw emotion and so many relatable themes that help you connect deeply with the project. ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Pierce the Veil's Discography

I love this album to pieces. This was an immediate and stark improvement off of their debut that saw them become the mainstay of the genre that they are today. A lot of these tracks are so iconic and even then the B sides are far from slouches, standing as one of the most catchy and memorable albums of the time. I feel this has aged amazingly as it still sounds incredible and the songwriting doesn't feel dated. Well worth a return ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Pierce the Veil's Discography

A solid debut but I really don't find myself returning to it much. In a way it may just feel a little more awkward than their later work, which is fine for a debut. There are a lot of the fundamentals here that show the path where they went on to build their career off of. Sounds good, fun enough, worth a good few listens.

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

Yeah, I know, Djent is "not a genre" but IT'S STILL REAL TO ME DAMN IT! Jokes aside, I was significantly disappointed by this album. I enjoyed the initial singles and was looking forward to it but it felt like they were a lot more directionless. Many songs end with a 2 minute tail off that felt like it was tacked on most of the time, a lot of the riffs are forgettable and fill out the songs that they are in like they used to. By ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

I remember the absolute hype I had for this album. The follow up to a perfect album and their first venture as a fully independent artist meaning they can do whatever the fuck they want and whatever the fuck they want they did. This thing is massive. So many songs that feel large in stature be it in runtime, production or the over all song writing. I also appreciate that it is far darker and heavier than anything they have done previously as I ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

Musical perfection. An absolute staple of the genre (I KNOW!) Immaculate production, every instrument and sound played and crafted to pure perfection and just an all round atmosphere that I could spend an eternity getting lost in. Every song feels like it has it's own personality and life individual of each other but together making one of the best album experiences I have had. This album gives me everything I want from the style. ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

Now this one is tricky. Whilst a lot of what I said in the previous album review applies here, I can't help but admit this one is weaker. Starts very well with the reprisal of the main refrain from Alpha and straight into gigabanger The Bad Thing followed by a beautiful ballad in Priestess. Then it takes a turn to Graveless and Hell Below where I didn't connect with them initially. In saying this, they grew on me and fit the far ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

This is where I fully got on the Periphery wagon. This album holds some of my favourites and to this day rips just as hard as first listen. Far more accessible than their previous work which helped me get on board as a burgeoning fan of the genre (I KNOW!). The songs stand on their own very well as well as being a part of a greater concept album which is commendable on top of a production style so silky smooth that you can't help but feel ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

A really cool concept. A band of 6 multi-instrumentalists write a song each and drop an EP full of them. It's a very fun way to do an EP to tide us over until the next album and a glimpse into everyones styles and how they write songs. AND SO WE GO THROUGH EACH

Overture: Solid intro track, not part of the concept but a nice little track to get us started

The Summer Jam - Jake Bowen: A nice lil bouncy track. Far from my favourite on the ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

An underdog favourite of many and follows the trend of stellar sophomore albums for bands in the genre (I know!). Also where I believe the reprisals that Spencer loves so much began. A huge step forward and massively influential to this day. So many sight this to be the album that pushed them to write how they do and changed the game. A great many tracks that stay in the memory long after the last song rings out and on every relisten there is ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Periphery's Discography

This is one of those debuts where you know the band is going to go on and be something truly special. A trailblazing album that was so much fun and truly helped shape a style and genre (I know) that would become so beloved to me personally. So many iconic moments and songs that are awe-inspiring. At a staggering 1 hour and 12 minutes it's hard not to get lost in the mix and there are a few songs I don't return to as often (this is why ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Wage War's Discography

I desperately wanted to love this. Up until this point Wage War didn't drop a bad album. Then this happened. The song writing is uninspired, the sound is hollow, the all round vibe felt off, like the performances were 9-5 and going through the motions. There wasn't any of the signature flair they usually come with, just a mountain of nothing burger songs that float In one ear and out the other with no staying power. A true ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Wage War's Discography

A return to form immediately after what felt like a slight stumble. It feels like they really turned it on for this album cycle. Chunky and aggressive songs with enough of the accessible stuff from the last album, almost refining that formula. Production had a bit more punch than the previous album too which I am always a fan of. All in all, a really nice way for them to bring their sound up to the modern era and not make it sound dated or ... read more

FryDaRetrospective - Wage War's Discography

This album was a bit hit or miss for me. It felt like they relied a little more on catchy song writing and gimmicks for their sound and while I still enjoyed myself, I still couldn't help but feel the decline in quality. It didn't feel like it did with the first two albums. I do return to it and love aspects of it as it still shows pieces of the band I became a super fan of but I was unsure with the direction. I appreciate them trying ... read more