.png)
A lot has changed in the world since 2018 when Parkway Drive last released new music, and following their longest break so far, one of Australia's most influential metalcore band is finally back with its seventh and arguably most important release to day. Since their formation nearly two decades ago, the guys have meticulously fought their way towards the top of the metal world, reaping all of the rewards and the hate that comes with wearing the crown. Left with nothing to prove and noone to please, Darker Still sees them evolve into their biggest and strongest form, demanding attention and putting them in the spotlight yet again.
When Parkway Drive dropped their lead single 'Glitch' out of nowhere just three months ago, the "community" immediately split into those rushing to voice their outrage of the "new sound", and those fighting for their honour with grand rhetorics. As if any of this really mattered, as if the track was not the only logical step following Reverence, as if the band needed anyone to speak for them. And as if everyone would not be listening to Darker Still, regardless of which fraction they align with, only to cement this album's significance.
The story of the five chilled surfer dudes from Byron Bay is so well documented in the media and DVDs, connecting us in ways that cannot be said for many other bands. We know their origin, struggles, joys, choices, hobbies, and have learned to always demand more, like we do with our closest friends. And with this, we have also grown to be somewhat entitled to have a say in what Parkway Drive do with their lives and art. We complain when they cancel tours, when they don't release music when we need it, when we don't like a new song, but either way we never stopped listening to them and going back to those classics.
In the grand scheme of things, Parkway Drive did not invent metalcore, not to mention they stopped being cookie-cutter almost a decade ago, and expecting them to stick to their early sound is just ridiculous, if not detrimental to them as a band, and the genre in general. However, they did shape the genre we see today, got a lot of people invested into the scene, and played an enormous part in pushing Australian bands forward. Seven records in 20 years might not seem a lot, but each of them have left a huge mark, following a constant evolution towards the inevitable metamorphosis in Darker Still.
Many have watched Parkway Drive gradually become a standard of excellence, but you only need to check the much groovier Ire (2015) for the clear signs that the band was determined to break away from the standard metalcore path and escape the genre's inevitable staleness. Doing this landed them these well-deserved headliner slots and paved the way for Reverence (2018) and now Darker Still to complete the cycle, ending the transformation from a deathcore-ish garage group of wild teenagers into a mature gateway band, quietly enjoying the rewards of 20 years of passion and grind.
Strip away any expectations and emotional involvement with the band, and you are left with a pretty good damn record by traditional and modern standards. Approaching their 20th anniversary as an active band and all around their 40s, Parkway Drive cannot possibly sound any better. The album successfully handles both oldschool songwriting and arrangement, as it does contemporary production and execution. Moreover, where the five of them rarely get individual credit and tend to operate best as a unit, separate instrumental sections are just flawless, with Winston silencing critics with spectacular range.
Signature metalcore tropes like raging guitars and galooping drums are scarce, making way for grand riffs, tight rhythm, and theatrical flair; order replacing chaos against the genre's unwritten laws. While this does hold back the album's energy and excitement, it accentuates their growth and professionalism as musicians and songwriters. It also fits the dominant dark atmosphere and ominous feel of what sounds more like a conceptual stadium record meant to be experienced live in full stage production.
In those lines, I find it hard to dissect individual tracks outside of their intended flow beginning with the inviting 'Ground Zero'. The three promo singles 'Glitch', 'The Greatest Fear' and 'Darker Still' sit neatly together to develop the musical and lyrical themes of the record, while 'Like Napalm' and 'Soul Bleech' add a little bit of needed thunder. The rest of the tracks expand said themes, each adding subtle layers and doing their intended purpose in moving the story towards the fittingly epic finale in 'From The Heart of the Darkness'.
In conclusion, judge Darker Still not by what you wanted it to be, but what Parkway Drive meant for it, and it succeeds on all fronts. All of the interviews Winston McCall did in the last few weeks shows just how self- and scene-aware he and the band really are. Somehow, despite all those wild years of touring and rise to fame, Parkway Drive remain just as down to earth as in their early days, and will forever remain and example of the right attitude and determination every band should have if they want to succeed. Alive and kicking, with all but one minor lineup change in their history, these guys owe us absolutely nothing.
Darker Still might not be my top album of the year and might not become my favourite Parkway Drive record either, but the fact is I probably would not be listening to most of the releases I find exciting if it was not for them. Ultimately, it is about time we appreciated who we are really dealing with here, and give them the credit and freedom they so deserve. They could have turned into 40-year old dudes doing teenage metalcore as a raging form of mid-life crisis, but instead decided to slow down and focus on live performances and production and adapting their sound to that. Like it or not, great bands know when to shift gears and with Darker Still Parkway Drive have done this masterfuly, as an example for their peers and the entire metal world.
Parkway Drive - Darker Still
Country: Australia
Released: 9 September 2022
Label: Epitaph Records
Tracklisting:
1. 'Ground Zero'
2. 'Like Napalm'
3. 'Glitch'
4. 'The Greatest Fear'
5. 'Darker Still'
6. 'Imperial Heretic'
7. 'If A God Can Bleed'
8. 'Soul Bleach'
9. 'Stranger'
10. 'Land Of The Lost'
11. 'From The Heart Of The Darkness'
Comments