The Grammys are all well and good for fans of pop music, hip-hop, rap and even country. However, if you’re in a rock or metal band, The Grammys can seem like a very ostracizing event. For instance, the rock icons that do get nominated are technically pop stars. Two of the three “Best Rock” awards went to the deceased David Bowie. While his contributions in punk and alternative rock have been incredibly notable over the years, he is very much a figure from the past who is remembered alongside the likes of Prince and other superstars. This year’s 59th Grammy Awards also had only one metal-related category (“Best Metal Performance”). Every year, metal awards tend to be focused on the same group of bands from the '80s, with Metallica being the staple. The point is that The Grammys, while a highly respected cornerstone of the music industry, tend to totally miss the mark on heavier genres of music.

But it’s not all grim. In the past couple of years, more modern metal acts have made it on to the nominations list. Last year, the metal band August Burns Red — an incredible and highly talented force in the current metal scene — were nominated for an award. They lost it to Ghost, however, which is still a win for contemporary metal. This year, pop sensation Lady Gaga did a collaborative performance with Metallica, citing the band as one of her biggest influences. The progressive metal band Periphery was also nominated for the “Best Metal Performance” award, though they lost to Megadeth. We were lucky enough to be able to chat with some of the members in Periphery about what it means to them to have been nominated for a Grammy, and what they think about their genre’s involvement in this kind of arena. Jump to the next page to read the interview.