Parkway Drive is currently on the second leg of their 20-year anniversary tour, bringing their spectacular stage production to arenas all over Europe. This glorious celebration wouldn't be complete without their compatriots, deathcore trailblazers Thy Art Is Murder and metalcore pioneers The Amity Affliction.
First up was The Amity Affliction. The band recently underwent some turmoil, with the replacement of bassist/singer Ahren Stringer. Jonny Reeves, courtesy of Kingdom Of Giants, was swiftly recruited and with his addition, the band is entering a promising new era. Unfortunately the venue wasn't very full by the time they went on, but they worked with what they had. Opener "Pittsburgh" got people in the mood while the band tried to get them more and more involved. It was very pleasant to see how well Reeves fits Amity both in regards to energy and singing, despite using at a lower register than Stringer did. Vocalist Joel Birch was compelling to watch as he fought his demons in front of our very eyes -and while his screams were on point, I didn't expect him to sing the verses of "Drag The Lake". The new single, "All That I Remember", was a very tense moment proving that Amity may be entering their best era yet.
Almost halfway through the set, the crowd started participating more and even formed a circlepit for "I See Dead People", and screamed at the top of their lungs the line "hey death/get fucked" on "Death's Hand" -which was pretty chilling if I'm being honest. One thing I didn't love however was how the setting of the stage only allowed Birch to move around, while Reeves and Dan Brown remained still for the most part. Thy Art Is Murder vocalist Tyler Miller made a guest appearance for "All My Friends Are Dead", rendering this version more grizzly than I expected.
After 30' Amity bid us farewell and passed the torch to Thy Art Is Murder. The band meant business from the second they stepped on stage. Tyler Miller is a worthy heir to TAIM's legacy, proving his vocal prowess and ability to command the stage without overshadowing his bandmates, something I haven't seen since 2017-ish. Miller repeatedly invited fans to chant "death metal!" while joking that the tour lineup is "a metalcore sandwich; two metalcore bands and a death metal band in the middle". Their sound was very clear, although reverbing a little in the back of the venue. They managed to effortlessly capture the attention of the crowd. I must admit I've never been a fan of theirs musically but can definitely appreciate the intensity of their performances, and how tight they always are.
It was finally time for the headliners to make their grand entrance. And boy, was it indeed grand. Parkway Drive arrived from the back of the venue, banners flying high in the air, and reached the stage through the frenzied crowd. Once they assumed positions, the opening riff to "Carrion" resounded and the audience responded with the battlecry. The band was immersed in their music, having the time of their lives while they danced around the stage extension, where they remained for "Prey" as well. At the end of the song, and having received a very warm welcome, they dropped the stage curtain and paid respects to the massive logo that appeared over their heads. "Glitch" introduced the dancers and the first few pyros of the evening -and this was just the beginning.
Their sound was immaculate, and every single detail could be heard. Winson McCall's contagious smile didn't leave his face all night as he roamed on stage. The first unexpected surprise of the evening was the choice to play "Horizons", a first I believe on this tour. Winston prefaced this by saying it's one of his favorits songs, and the crowd got straight to business. On a personal note, I'm not entirely sure what a song like "Cemetary Bloom" was doing on this setlist, but I must admit that it was a good segue to "The Void". The stage production has gone to new extremes, with Winston getting rain-soaked for "Wishing Wells" and creating a moody atmosphere. The band then proceeded with the second surprise, the ten-minute medley of bangers off of "Killing With A Smile", which concluded with "Romance Is Dead" and massive nostalgia. "On "Idols & Anchors" McCall suddenly appeared in the middle of the crowd, with a violent-but-fun circle pit around him, and fans carrying him towards the stage at the end of the song. As expected, the string ensemble was also on PWD's side, adding more depth to their melodic sound. As the evening was rounding up, the over-the-top production of "Crushed" got the entire stage lit up in flames, including the rotating rig around Ben Gordon's drumkit, and a flame-throwing contraption under the lift where McCall was standing.
This was hands down one of the best shows I've seen PWD play over the years, not just in terms of production but also the band's engagement with the crowd and how much fun they seemed to be having. Despite the half-full arena, the show still felt both intimate and huge, which is very difficult for a band to achieve. This is a testament to Parkway's ability to push extremes and at the same time honor their fanbase by remaining grounded and grateful.
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