Reviews

Parkway Drive’s flat out refusal to be just another face in the Hardcore/Metal scene can be heard in their debut for Epitaph entitled Killing With A Smile. From Byron Bay Australia, these boys have built a loyal following in their home continent since they burst onto the scene in Summer of 2003. Gaining recognition by sharing the stage with such international acts like: Hatebreed, In Flames, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through, and Alexisonfire, Parkway Drive shows that they belong and that they have a sound all their own. Killing With A Smile is an 11 track gunshot blast filled with heavy guitar riffs, grueling drumbeats, and scary precision.
 
Produced by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, the album opens with the track entitled “Gimme A D”. I really didn’t know what to make of it at first. The track assaults you from all angles. Between Winston McCall’s “don’t f*ck with me” vocals and guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling’s searing rhythms, “Gimme A D” shapes up what Hardcore/Metal ought to sound like.
 
The tracks following the opening offer up more of the same. With songs about shattered life, the importance of individuality, heartbreak, and betrayal, the lyrics are as precise as the music itself. The track “Romance Is Dead” is the embodiment of vivid lyricism and musical mayhem. The song deals with suicide and the notion that love doesn’t exist for all of us. With lyrics like, “Cupid never found his mark/ As we await the insertion of blades on flesh/ You part the skin and tell the blades on blood”, “Romance Is Dead” showcases the desperation and helplessness one may feel when dealing with rejection or lost love. If suicide had a sound, it would sound like this track. Between its moody opening and the dreamlike guitars at the end, you can hear the struggle of a heartbroken man trying to cope and ultimately hear his demise.
 
Killing With A Smile is an impressive full length debut for the guys in Parkway Drive who are currently on tour in the US with Himsa and Becoming The Archetype. The guys will then head to Europe with Shai Hulud for a string of dates before going home to do the Taste of Chaos Australia. With the album release date right around the corner, Parkway Drive has a lot to look forward to in the coming months. This release is not to be missed and even the most seasoned Hardcore/Metal fan who thinks they have heard it all before will surely be impressed. These guys are here to stay.