On January 24th, 2024, progressive metal band PERIPHERY, along with CROOKED ROYALS, rocked Huxley’s Neue Welt in Berlin as part of their Wildfire Tour.
CROOKED ROYALS came all the way from New Zealand. Signed under 3DOT Recordings, they had prepared a set from their debut album “Quarter Life Daydream” featuring their latest single “Glass Hands.” They brought some explosive energy to wake up the crowd. CROOKED ROYALS had an interesting blend of alternative, metalcore, and trap/R&B with some chuggy riffs, and the crowd enjoyed the hell out of it. The drummer, Keane Gilles, was so intense that he broke his kit, but all the members were in a good mood, making jokes and keeping the audience entertained; a very promising newcomer.
PERIPHERY came all the way from the US for the first time since 2019, jetlagged but ready to kick some serious ass. The venue was packed and the crowd exploded when the band entered the stage. They kicked off the show with “Dracul Gras” from their latest release “Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre.” The song is almost 13 minutes long and tells a story about a tired, fat Dracula; an interesting choice for the opener. They continued with “Wildfire” and “Atropos,” which bulldozed everything down; the crowd chanted the chorus at the tops of their lungs and moshed like there was no tomorrow. PERIPHERY crafted a balanced set of old tracks going back to “Periphery” with new ones and some of the fan favorites. After destroying the dance floor to “Make Total Destroy” and tearing up to the nostalgic “Letter Experiment,” Mark Holcomb entered the stage with an acoustic guitar. Spencer Sotelo and Mark delivered the acoustic version of “Scarlet,” the crowd lit up their digital torches high, singing along. During “Marigold,” drummer Matt Halpern went into overdrive with the blast beats. The show was coming to an end, they performed “Satellites” flawlessly, closing the song with the meme/iconic phrase “suck my balls.” The closing song was perfect – “Blood Eagle,” and it was the most brutal one yet. I was tempted to go into the mosh pit but I wasn’t ready for Valhalla yet.
Overall, the show was perfection in every way – stage lights, sound, fans, and of course, the musicians. The only downside was the strict guard who didn’t allow taking wide pictures from the crowd. Check our photo gallery here…
CROOKED ROYALS
PERIPHERY
Photos by Alexandra Aim
