Parkway Drive
Deep Blue
Epitaph

In a mere eighteen months, Byron Bay metalcore mob Parkway Drive have gone from being a buzz name on the underground metal circuit to becoming one of the most talked about bands on the metal scene. Since the release of their stunning Horizons album a couple of years ago, a raft of rave reviews have dragged this band to the cusp of true greatness and in 2010, Parkway Drive are in the unenviable position of having to progress from that while not straying from the pummelling basics of their sound.

You could say the pressure is on what with great albums coming out from metalcore bruisers like As I Lay Dying, so can these Aussie shredheads deliver the goods? Does Deep Blue live up to the hype and the promise? Well, on the whole yes. An atmospheric intro bleeds into head-stoving opener Unrest, a track complete with a sickeningly heavy breakdown, something of a staple in the metalcore diet that these guys offer up. Sleepwalker, the first previewed track on the album, sees the band hurling full throttle into a crunchier, moshier style which will sit nicely as a follow-up to some of the material on the Horizons album. Frontman Winston has also upped his game too and, while his style doesn’t differ too much from previous outings, his roars and screams sound altogether more devastating this time around. In terms of progression though, aside from Alone which has a melodic streak running through it, the rest of the album sees the band sticking to their tried and tested formula of colossal chugging breakdowns, crunchy guitars and throaty, guttural vocals.

Having played Deep Blue a few times before writing this review, the mixed reviews are understandable. On the one hand, you want the band to stick to their winning formula which, on the likes of Hollow and Wreckage, they have done, however, on the other hand, maybe Deep Blue needs just a tiny bit more diversity to make it a truly special album. Having said that, Deep Blue was always going to be a difficult album, especially after the success of its predecessor however, these Aussie have kept themselves ahead of the chasing pack but only just.

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Review by Stuart Haughton