Parkway DriveThy Art Is Murder hit the stage at Margaret Court Arena and it is like Armageddon has arrived in Melbourne, such is the intensity with which they explode from the very first note. While this monstrous Aussie act’s particular brand of high-precision chaos and insanity is about as extreme as mainstream heavy music gets, judging by tonight’s performance it was also designed for big arenas. Their songs become fist-pumping anthems of brutality in this setting and the steadily building crowd of heavy music punters respond with ferocity, a massive circle pit erupting around mid-way through the blistering 30-minute opening set.
There are a few sound issues, the likes of which you must resign yourself to putting up with while experiencing heavy, wall-of-sound type music in massive steel and concrete venues like this, such as the obscuring of every piece on the drumkit aside from the double kickers at times. However, singer CJ McMahon cannot be denied. He sounds like Satan himself as he belches up his titanic vocal howlings and behind him, despite the sound issues, the band are tighter than the clenched fist of the devil. This band cops a bit of grief from the so-called ‘true’ metalheads, but tonight they are an unquestionable, pounding extreme music powerhouse.
The slightly more open, slightly less extreme sound and approach of America’s mighty metalcore kings Killswitch Engage alleviate said sound issues a little. Opening with the all-time Killswitch and metalcore classic Rose Of Sharyn, the long-running Bostonian quintet lace into what can only be described as a massive American-style arena spectacular, an adrenaline- and fist-pumping extravaganza.
While he strains just a smidgeon on some of the higher-end wails, vocalist Jesse Leach is nonetheless in fine fettle, stalking the stage, howling his lungs up like his life depends on it and appropriately dedicating Hate By Design to that ‘idiot in the White House’. Guitarist and sometimes vocalist Adam Dutkiewicz remains a highly entertaining character, bringing spontaneous quirk to an otherwise hyper-serious performance. This band engage the now-packed crowd beautifully tonight, and they are a near-perfect lead-in to the spectacular onslaught that is to follow.
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Huge, cannon-like blasts herald the arrival of the almighty Parkway Drive. On this tour, Byron’s favourite sons put on a show that has rarely, if ever, been attempted by an Aussie band, and indeed seldom happens at all these days. Whoever designed the lighting and the unique stage set must be congratulated for creating something eye-popping, something seismic, something truly special. The lighting is stunning and the pyro is absolutely insane. At various points it seems the entire stage is on fire, and the 360-degree revolving drum kit is something to behold.
Of course, all the crazy visual effects in the world are for nought if the music isn’t also great. Parkway have proven over six album releases that they cut the mustard in the songwriting and musicianship stakes, so aural, as well as visual quality, is assured here. Old-school fans may be a touch disappointed as to how heavily the set leans on their more recent works, but the newer stuff, being slightly more simple, more open, more ‘hard rock’ if you like, lends itself beautifully to the sold-out 7000-capacity arena.
In Winston McCall, they have a frontman for the ages. A roaring, raging bulldozer as he delivers his vocal lines, he becomes a humility-filled everyman between songs, everyone in the venue’s best mate, and 7000 people eat out of the palm of his hand for an hour and 20 minutes.
Whether you like this kind of music or not, this is a band to be celebrated, so raise your goblets of rock to the magnificent Parkway Drive, and then bow in reverence to the phenomenon they’ve become.
