THE MEMBERS OF
Periphery want to get something straight once and for all: Djent — that onomatopoeia used to describe the guitar sound of their band, along with groups such as Meshuggah, Animals As Leaders and Polyphia, among others — is not a genre. They’re serious about this, and just in case nobody’s paying attention, they’ve even gone so far as to title their latest album Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre.
“Djent is not a genre,” Misha Mansoor states emphatically during a Zoom interview that includes his multi-stringed cohorts, Mark Holcomb and Jake Bowen. “It’s a lifestyle.”
Which prompts Bowen to add his two cents: “We’ve been labeled as djent for such a long time that we’ve actually adopted it as our genre. I was the last guy in the band to be OK with it. It’s nothing that we chose, but here we are — people call us a djent band. So the album title is our way of messing with everybody. It’s not a grand statement in any way. It’s just for funzies.”
Mansoor cracks up at that one. “‘Just for funzies’?” he says, nearly doubling over. “Oh, man, I can’t wait to see that in print!”
It’s been four years since the band (which also includes singer Spencer Sotelo and drummer Matt Halpern) released the colossal, during which time its three guitarists have busied themselves with various
