Parkway Drive - Atlas - Printable Version +- Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com) +-- Forum: Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Hard Rock/Metal (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=20) +--- Thread: Parkway Drive - Atlas (/showthread.php?tid=7670)

Parkway Drive - Atlas - Music Head - 01-11-2012 online listen I like to do this to myself every now and then opens up the old arteries didn't know Australia had a metalcore scene CH has been holding out on us but why not, they can scream as well as anyone if this style of "singing" ever goes mainstream, I'm out people 1.0 from me and a converted 2.4 from the pros at allmusic from the album - Dark Days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7lpftvYDMA released Oct 30th, 2012 Bio - from allmusic Hailing from the hippie-loving beachfront town of Byron Bay, Australia, metalcore outfit Parkway Drive blasted out of their serene surroundings touting a volatile blend of intricate metal riffing, punishing breakdowns, and hardcore's emotional tension. Named after a rural countryside road, the band was formed in summer 2003 by vocalist Winston McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, drummer Ben Gordon, and bassist Jia O'Connor. The five- piece outfit split an EP with like-minded countrymen I Killed the Prom Queen that same year, and later appeared on the local hardcore compilation What We've Built. This activity preceded the May 2005 release of Parkway Drive's debut EP, Don't Close Your Eyes, on the Sydney-based Resist Records. Parkway Drive continued building a respected name for themselves in the Australian hardcore scene, often opening for Bleeding Through, Shadows Fall, Every Time I Die, Hatebreed, and other American bands who were touring abroad. When the time came to do some traveling of their own, Parkway Drive journeyed to Massachusetts to record their inaugural full-length with Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz. Recorded over a two-week period in 2005, Killing with a Smile entered the Australian Independent Chart at number two upon its February 2006 release. The debut album sold extremely well across the country and later saw a North American release through Epitaph Records, which issued the album in August. For the band's sophomore effort, Parkway Drive again traveled to Massachusetts to reprise their successful partnership with producer Dutkiewicz. The metallic Horizons emerged from those recording sessions, and Epitaph released the record in October 2006. In 2010 the band came back with its third full-length effort, Deep Blue. In 2012 Atlas arrived, a more adventurous and varied album with production assistance by Slayer producer Matt Hyde. Album Review - from allmusic Australian metalcore group Parkway Drive return from the raw production of their controversial 2010 album Deep Blue with the more adventurous and nuanced follow-up, Atlas. Some fans and critics squabbled over Deep Blue's intent and production. The songs trudged on full-bore for most of the record's duration, relying heavily on chunky breakdowns and production so guitar-centric it obscured a lot of finer sonic points completely. Atlas was deftly produced in brilliant colors with help from metal producer Matt Hyde, accentuating some of the subtleties of an admittedly not very subtle band. While the band still leans on moshy breakdowns a good deal over the course of the album, technical dual guitar leads sneak into a lot of the better songs, varying from the tenuous and slow New Wave of British Heavy Metal-esque leads on "Dark Days" to straight-up speed shredding on "The Slow Surrender." Songs like "The River" are where Parkway Drive really diversify their sound, incorporating clean wandering guitars and even melodic female vocals into the intro before exploding into a creepingly melodic thrash workout. Title track "Atlas" also goes into experimental waters, with a treated drum sample and chiming acoustic guitars providing an unlikely backdrop for tortured vocals, eventually incorporating plucked orchestral instruments and a dramatic string section. Vocalist Winston McCall's guttural singing is one of the best parts of the band. His versatile growls, spoken parts, and gut -busting screams convey a sense of sincerity, whether it sounds desperate, ferocious, or simply impassioned. Though it will be difficult to catch a lot of what he's saying without a lyric sheet, McCall's lyrics tend away from the usual approach to topics of pain and anger that a lot of hardcore bands deal with, touching instead on environmental concerns, religious confusion, and disappointment in a thoughtful, ponderous way. While the album's not without its share of awkward moments (McCall's ham-fisted proclamation "THERE IS NO GOD!!" on "Sleight of Hand" comes off more like metal parody than actual sentiment), the album's depth and openness to straying away from typical devices of the genre make Atlas one of the more engaging and thought-provoking metalcore releases amid a sea of the interchangeable riffs and howls of other bands. Track Listing 1. Sparks 2. Old Ghosts - New Regrets 3. Dream Run 4. Wild Eyes 5. Dark Days 6. The River 7. Swing 8. The Slow Surrender 9. Atlas 10. Sleight of Hand 11. Snake Oil And Holy Water 12. Blue And The Grey Parkway Drive - Atlas - CRAZY-HORSE - 02-11-2012 never heard of 'em mate...and dont wish to again!