Parkway Drive
Darker Still
September 10th 2022
Epitaph Records
Tracklisting:
“Ground Zero”
“Like Napalm”
“Glitch“
“The Greatest Fear“
“Darker Still”
“Imperial Heretic”
“If a God Can Bleed”
“Soul Bleach”
“Stranger”
“Land of the Lost”
“From the Heart of the Darkness”
Parkway Drive are: Winston McCall (vocals), Luke Kilpatrick (guitar), Jeff Ling (guitar), Jia O’Connor (bass), and Ben Gordon (drums)
What’s this? New Parkway Drive!
The album’s opening track may start with a soothing child-like innocence but don’t let the lullaby fool you, once the hammer drops there’s no going back. This isn’t just another cut-n-paste metalcore album though. The band’s resolution shines throughout the entire release, from the brutality of “Like Napalm” to the aggression of “Soul Bleacher” and through the American old Western vibe of “Darker Still”.
The band’s seventh studio album maintains their continued impeccable attention to detail and builds on their unique sound while still incorporating the familiar sound that many of us have come to enjoy. No, the band hasn’t completely abandoned their metalcore roots, they’ve just grown and evolved beyond those genre’s expectations. I’ve always loved it when bands who’ve pioneered a specific genre throw a curve-ball at their fans by incorporating unexpected styles into their music. Parkway Drive’s use of a choir and orchestra instruments on multiple tracks in weaved perfectly with their heavy, melodic, and metalcore style. The band seems to push their limits with every release and break the same boundaries they’ve helped to establish.
My advice? Don’t sleep on this one.