LIVE REVIEW: Parkway Drive @ AO Arena, Manchester

For PARKWAY DRIVE, destination was always an integral part of the band’s brutal design. Born in the sweaty basement brawls of Byron Bay’s ‘Parkway House’ and destined to dominate globally with a devastating vice grip, over the last twenty years modern metal has gained impressive Australian ambassadors. As they wave the flag through the swarming crowds during their entrance into Manchester’s AO Arena on their anniversary tour, the heavyweights finally size up to meet their fate: 23,000 formidable fans ready to cause carnage. It’s here they have the rare opportunity to look their audience directly in the eye, crazed with enthusiasm and calling for chaos. 

Headlining the almighty Bloodstock Festival in 2019 was a risk worth taking, as it set alight the promise of PARKWAY DRIVE‘s ascent to the top level of the UK live music scene with unrelenting fire in their bellies. As they took the supporting slot on the main stage at Download four years later, they began to put the pieces together for a fully realised tour experience- chock-a-block with dancers, pyro and dazzling orchestral accompaniment. The band’s secret set at Donington the next year proved that something dangerous was on the way, leading to a defining European tour experience, cleaved with deep cuts and oozing with high-quality production, curated by the band and with the fans in mind. 

Both supports, THE AMITY AFFLICTION and THY ART IS MURDER, stood at opposite ends of the heavy scene, but this Aussie grand slam was assembled with a true representation of what the country could offer. Openers THE AMITY AFFLICTION were strong, bullish with their low growls that cut through the arena crowd. A strong first impression, that was a slow burn until the pits began to open. Washed in acid greens and bathed in those signature all-encompassing choruses, the highs did get lost in the mix, but still hit home with their signature hits like Drag The Lake and It’s Hell Down Here. 

Rating: 7/10

Sydney’s THY ART IS MURDER were at the centre of the evening’s slam sandwich, the deathcore filling that was both sweet and packed a punch. From beginning to end, they brought the heat that got the crowd fully warmed up for the headliner. Impressive and impactful, from the slicing guitar breakdowns to Tyler Miller’s enthralled howls, there was method in their madness. Amongst the jokes and the drama that came with their dazzling rainbow-filled entrance to VENGABOY’s We Like To Party – showcasing yet again that the heavy metal love of Europop is universal- there was seriousness in the power and a determination that came with the new, fully-formed era for the band from their latest album Godlike.

Rating: 8/10  

It took a long time for PARKWAY DRIVE to get to the stage, and that includes the first two songs of this setlist. Energy was high for opener Carrion, euphoric and bouncing, as Prey takes full advantage of the crowd’s elated status. The band churn out heavy riffs on a small central stage, as frontman Winston McCall flails around the stage in full white pyjama couture, KATE BUSH Wuthering Heights style. 

Aside from the final curtain call, this is the most stripped-back the band get. A full dramatic reveal of the stage, dripping with skyline scaffolding and contemporary dancers contort their bodies out of shape into recent-hit Glitch. This is not a show, it’s a full-on production, with the PARKWAY DRIVE fully ascended to maestros of their own hellish creation. The opportunity for pyro overtakes the stage, as it swirls around the band with explosive results. Here, Vice Grip comes unexpectedly early in the set, and the crowd responds with their full undivided attention. 

Making a statement about the power of the Australian scene, Winston McCall invites THE AMITY AFFLICTION’s Joel Birch and THY ART IS MURDER’s Andy Marsh for Boneyards. Their gnarly triad of screams adds a damaging dimension to the performance. The band’s attention to detail and dazzle continues with the extended outro on Horizons from guitarist Jeff Ling, as he is hoisted above the stage on a pyro-encrusted platform, with the lingering moments of riffage bringing beautiful moments of reflection to the show. 

Whilst the structure of the set may appear long and drawn out, with the band taking over two hours to take the full course of the set, the ebb and flow of the set was landmarked with the band’s most poignant hits from the last twenty years, and punctuated and three different outfit changes.

In an attempt to go right back to their roots, the band pushed on with a special mash-up edition of their first album, Killing With A Smile. Ten minutes of full-frontal ferocity, wall-to-wall mosh pits in the swirling sea that overtook the arena’s packed floor. Ten minutes later, Winston decides to take centre stage, becoming an anchor point for the crowd to rally around him for Idols and Anchors. Other tracks like Chronos and Darker Still are elevated spectacularly by a three-piece string accompaniment. The show becomes a symphony, hitting the heavy with the sweet bliss of the duelling violins. Wishing Wells, whilst slow to start, feels eerie with the oncoming rain, with wicked meaning drawn out by the robe-clad dancers, occult and unnerving. 

Ben Gordon’s revolving drum kit leered over the back end of the stage waiting for it’s moment in the encore. Awash with fire, and molotoved with Crushed. A show-stopping finale that really was a powerful statement to where the band fits within the metal scene. A final curtain call brings the entire band to the starting platform with Wild Eyes. There, as moving as the opening montage of the band’s journey that started off the action, made it possible to realise that PARKWAY DRIVE is just five guys facing the world. Whatever they choose to do next will clearly be influenced by the statement they put together for their 20th anniversary tour.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: 

Like PARKWAY DRIVE on Facebook.