Although the members of Periphery occasionally dabble in pummeling metalcore, the Washington, D.C., crew better embody progressive metal's subtler sonic execution. Starting with their 2010 self-titled debut, the band have cultivated a sound that balances airy post-rock arrangements, thickets of snarled rhythms, and a gnarled maze of heavy riffs. Spencer Sotelo's helium-lightened vocals add the perfect prog touch throughout, even on the curveballs: "Alpha" begins with a cheery spray of 8-bit synth work, and the nearly eight-minute epic "Absolomb" alternates craggy guitars with a tranquil orchestral coda.