I wasn’t sure what to expect as I began my first listen through Parkway Drive’s latest LP - ‘Deep Blue’. Admittedly my exposure to the “metalcore” genre box they are labelled under is limited, but word on the street was this record reset the bar for all other bands of the genre to live up to! High praise indeed, and certainly got my interest as I’d never been a fan of the small amount of material I’d heard from other such groups. As it turns out, I was in for a semi-pleasant surprise.
They kick things off with 2 minute opener “Unrest” which, though effective in setting the tone for what is to come lyrically, doesn’t give away the surprise of what is to come musically.
Tracks such as “Sleepwalker”, “Wreckage” and “Deadweight” all bring various heavy metal elements to the table, mixing up tempos along with some excellent yet well restrained guitar melodies and harmonies. There is also a great use of chord progressions supported by guitar melodies that just add that extra dimension over straight up pounding riffs.
No song goes past the 4:30 minute mark and thus the songs are concise enough that no one idea is drawn out longer than it needs to be. Just as certain parts began to fain interest, another variation is thrown into the mix keeping your ears on edge throughout - especially in lou of any real vocal hooks or melodies from the consistently brutal and aggressive vocal style.
But there in lies my one real niggle in that the subject matter rarely moves away from being generally pissed off at all that is wrong with the world and life. Sure, there is plenty to talk about in this regard! and although the content is well written and genuine (few could argue with the sincerity of frontman Winston McCall’s delivery!) after 45 minutes it can where a little thin and one-dimensional.
Personally, if the music doesn’t hold me I am unlikely to give it many spins - no matter how clever or thought provoking the lyrics are. I won’t deny my inability to decipher heavier vocal styles means I pay more attention to the music from the outset. In the interest of balance my subsequent playthroughs were with lyrics to hand, and their consistently bleak tone definitely adds to the emotion of the music.
Fans of the genre could rightly argue that this is exactly what they want from such a band and those wanting more variety should go elsewhere. A fair point certainly, although I feel that it’s a missed opportunity to not apply the lyrical craft to other topics and show the same level of variety as in that of the music - surely it would only raise the potential to connect with and draw in other listeners?
Don’t get me wrong it fits the bill very well if you are looking for songs that help express your angst about the world or your current situation - I just think personally, I would only ever need a handle of them as opposed to an entire album.
Sonically, the overall tone is distinct and unique enough to sound relatively refreshing compared to the more “run-of-the-mill” spectrum other bands are seemingly locked into with their overly polished and heavily produced mix. This feels very raw and honest - in both ambience and emotion, as the rough yet audible lyrical lamenting vocals match the “raspy”ness of the guitars and together, with a thick and crispy bass tone, the unrelenting drums create a punishing ear bashing across the 13 tracks this the band’s third release.
Not having any frame of reference in music can be both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side it brings freedom from expectation and the ability to look at new material with a far less critical eye. Some could argue unqualified, but at least you will (hopefully!) find this review more focused on the music on the table rather than what has preceded it. Sadly, it also creates a dilemma of not knowing if said material is as good as you think it might be!
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed this record enough at a musical level to revisit many of the songs. Although the lack of variety lyrically meant I wasn’t quite as immersed on that level, there is a genuine honesty about their content which I am sure will grab more passionate fans of the genre completely.
My own preconceptions about “metalcore” being a fairly narrow genre stylistically (through my limited exposure) have been abruptly smashed by these 4 men from Aus. Out of curiosity, wikipedia states it is
“a fusion genre combining elements of various extreme metal elements, with hardcore punk”.
On that note and the audio bombshell that is “Deep Blue”, I think they certainly ticked all the respective boxes and I look forward to journeying deeper down the metalcore rabbit hole!
♥ ✍ about my passions ♫ Metal, ✈ Traveling,日本語. 