PARKWAY DRIVE – Brisbane, Australia 20th September 2024
Byron Bay’s metalcore behemoths Parkway Drive laid waste to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre two days earlier, so the anticipation is thick with excitement as fans return for a second round with the North Coast heavy hitters. Our senses are toyed with as the band unleash not only a fierce musical performance, but a visually sumptuous production as well. More of that later.
In the grand hardcore tradition, Parkway have rounded up a selection of diverse yet likeminded support bands to turn a mere gig into an epic event. As a result, the Entertainment Centre has the first act Void Of Vision take to the stage at the early time of 5:30 in the afternoon. And while the sun is still shining outside, the audience in the arena are in full “Friday night” mode, eager to see and hear how Void Of Vision will get this party started.
Fortunately, it’s an energetic set from the Melbourne band, with frontman and harsh vocalist Jack Bergin a hyperactive and engaging presence on stage. His raspy howls make a nice contrast to guitarist/vocalist James Kendrick’s emotive and powerful clean singing. Those familiar with Void Of Vision will have some idea of the musical styles delivered by the band tonight, with their metalcore roots blended with tinges of industrial and nu-metal. Even though this is the first of four bands, the crowd is positive and responsive to Void Of Vision’s atmospheric attack. Jack encourages circle pits and walls of death, for which the revellers are only too happy to oblige.
It’s a promising start, but things only rise in intensity from there. Californian quintet The Ghost Inside are next and show how potently they have come back from their tragic 2015 bus accident. For those unfamiliar, their tour bus was in a collision with another vehicle, claiming the lives of two drivers and hospitalising the whole band. Drummer Andrew Tkaczyk lost one of his legs and yet here he is tonight with a customised kit, playing like an absolute demon.
Whether it’s material from their latest album Searching For Solace (such as a storming version of Death Grip) or older tunes like the tough yet melodic Dark Horse, it’s clear The Ghost Inside are taking nothing for granted. It’s a set rich with melody, brutality and life-affirming gratitude. Their determination to overcome harrowing obstacles is the stuff of inspiration.
Next up is I Prevail, whose metalcore influences cross-pollinate with anthemic rock in a manner that suits arenas to an absolute T. The deeply personal Hurricane is an emotive slice of pop metal that showcases the powerful vocals of clean singer Brian Burkheiser, while team shouter Eric Vanlerberghe is in warrior form through the blistering likes of Choke and Gasoline.
With their three studio albums all going Top 10 in the ARIA charts, there are plenty of people here familiar with I Prevail’s music as evidenced by the many crowd singalongs throughout their set. And we even get their famous metal cover of Taylor Swift’s Blank Space! The mood is already euphoric, so I am genuinely excited to see how Parkway can up the energy even further.
The lights go down, the crowd goes nuts and here comes Parkway Drive, strolling through the audience accompanied by enormous band logo flags and vocalist Winston McCall (in an oversized white hoodie) evoking a boxing legend’s dramatic entrance.
It’s an intro as regal as you could hope for, as Parkway celebrates 20 years of existence. They arrive on a small stage in the middle of the standing area and proceed to whip the crowd into a frenzy with opening song Carrion.
Right off the bat, Winston is astonished and awe-struck by the crowd’s sheer excitement. Parkway have been one of the world’s premiere heavy bands for many years now, but they clearly haven’t forgotten their roots and have an appreciation for their fans which is far less jaded than many other acts who have been at it for two decades.
While Parkway Drive have always put on an impressive show complete with pyrotechnics, tonight has the theatrical complexity of a Broadway production. There are dancers, a classical string trio and a stage set up that defies belief. After the first couple of songs, a bridge is descended from the ceiling, from which the band move from the small set-up to the main stage, as the curtain drops to reveal what looks like a highway underpass full of grimy industrial scenery.
Throughout the evening, we see Winston having the audience in the palm of his hand with his intoxicating blend of menace and amiable charisma. We also get to see guitar hero Jeff Ling perform a solo standing on the raised bridge as pyrotechnics shoot from the side. We feel more heat from the many literal bursts of flame than at the last the Kiss show I went to, not to mention Ben Gordon drumming upside down in a 360-degree rotating drum cage.
Fortunately, the visual spectacle doesn’t overshadow the musical performance, as Parkway unleashes metalcore classic after metalcore classic. Vice Grip has the whole crowd shouting along with the earworm of a chorus hook and the brutally heavy Boneyards includes a vocal cameo from Michael Crafter (I Killed The Prom Queen/Confessions), a man who gave Parkway a leg-up in their early days.
The title track from Horizons is in their set list for the first time since 2018 and there is a return to their first album with a positively insane medley of Gimme a D, Anasasis (Xenophontis), Mutiny, It’s Hard to Speak Without a Tongue, Smoke ‘Em If Ya Got ‘Em and Romance Is Dead. It’s a striking contrast to the moody, subtly building Darker Still which appears towards the end of their set.
It’s readily apparent that Parkway are not just a “metalcore” band. Their music has become more expansive and ambitious, while never losing its visceral edge. As a result, they have been able to shake off the limits of genre labels and ultimately come across as a simply great Australian rock and roll band, albeit one with a sense of the epic and grandiose. I don’t expect to see a better arena metal show any time soon. This was one for the ages.
Reviewer: Matt Thrower
Photographer: Davey Rintala @fastlanephoto
