01. Wishing
Wells
02. Prey
03. Absolute
Power
04. Cemetery
Bloom
05. The Void
06. I Hope You
Rot
07. Shadow
Boxing
08. In Blood
09. Chronos
10. The Colour
of Leaving
I first saw Australia's Parkway Drive at Sonisphere Festival back in 2011. They were an absolutely amazing live band, and I remember picking up their albums Horizons and Deep Blue as a direct result of their show. In all honesty, I was left a little disappointed by their recorded output. They had a handful of killer tracks, but for the most part they were really lacking in the song department. Don't get me wrong, there was some amazing musicianship and full-on infectious ferocity on those records, but I just felt that they were capable of so much more.
My feelings towards Parkway Drive changed when I picked up their 2015 album Ire and was totally blown away by it. Musically it had more melody, chunky Hardcore riffs and genuinely catchy and well crafted songs. The energy and heaviness were still there, but in a more palatable format. I remember seeing an online backlash, where angry 14-year olds with trucker caps, neck tattoos and ear tunnels were enraged by Parkway Drive's more accessible direction. Anyway, fuck those tone-deaf scene kids. Ire ruled, and with this new album, Reverence, I was hoping for more of the same.
My first impression was simply 'Wow'! Reverence really is an absolute beast of an album. It's definitely following the path carved by its predecessor with its punchy Hardcore riffs and huge catchy, anthemic choruses. They're sure to appeal to a wider audience with this record and they have achieved that without compromising the overall heaviness of the music.
One thing I really admire about Parkway Drive is their ability to push boundaries with each record and fearlessly experiment, often finding little bits of magic that make your ears prick up. The song Prey is a great example of this. Without the vocals, it isn't a million miles away from Pirate Metal, but this 'Alestorm-esque bounce-factor', coupled with the familiar aggression and energy makes for a surprising and satisfying single.
Cemetery Bloom may be a song in its own right, but it certainly acts as a dramatic, atmospheric build-up to the next track, The Void, which is one of the strongest songs Parkway Drive has ever released. These tracks were also played back to back at Download Festival recently (see my review here), and in a live context, the build-up and eventual unleashing of those riffs in The Void, was absolutely electrifying.
Reverence is a superb album and shows the band continuing to mature into international Metal A-listers with a future brighter than the Australian sun.
One thing I really admire about Parkway Drive is their ability to push boundaries with each record and fearlessly experiment, often finding little bits of magic that make your ears prick up. The song Prey is a great example of this. Without the vocals, it isn't a million miles away from Pirate Metal, but this 'Alestorm-esque bounce-factor', coupled with the familiar aggression and energy makes for a surprising and satisfying single.
Cemetery Bloom may be a song in its own right, but it certainly acts as a dramatic, atmospheric build-up to the next track, The Void, which is one of the strongest songs Parkway Drive has ever released. These tracks were also played back to back at Download Festival recently (see my review here), and in a live context, the build-up and eventual unleashing of those riffs in The Void, was absolutely electrifying.
Reverence is a superb album and shows the band continuing to mature into international Metal A-listers with a future brighter than the Australian sun.
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