Australia born band Parkway Drive was formed in 2003 with Winston McCall on vocals, Jeff Ling on lead guitar, Luck Kilpatrick on rhythm guitar, Ben Gordon on drums, and Brett Versteeg on bass. Versteed was eventually replaced by Shaun Cash prior to the release of their debut album Killing with a Smile in 2005, and Jai O’Connor around 2006 before the band’s follow-up record released in 2007, Horizons. Since that time it has been a steady climb for Parkway Drive with their first US charted album in 2010, Deep Blue, followed by the enormous leap forward in 2012 with Atlas. The time and effort put into each and every track can been seen and heard throughout each and every one of their albums, so when the announcement came down that they would return with a new album in late September 2015, it was surprise anticipation at a high. Titled Ire, the new record comes to their growing fan base via Epitaph Records and features production from George Hadji-Christou.
Wasting no time to wow the listeners as soon as Ire begins, Parkway Drive kicks it off with “Destroyer,” a heavy and rebellious tune that makes the listener jump out of their seat. With a steadily rising intro, the song prepares you to chant along with the lyrics of each and every song. The inner power rises up and releases with each chanting chorus of “Destroy.” “Destroyer” has the perfect mix of melody and power bringing forth the use of heavy drop tuning and short, but fast, licks that add character to each and every second of the song. While listening to the song, Parkway Drive brings the listener on a journey to battle the monsters found within their very soul. In fact, while listening to this track, no one will be able to hide from the monster inside, but are forced to fight it instead.
Then there is “Dying to Believe” which throws the listener strait into chaos. From the first scream to the last note, the track has a burning fury that lights the fire within. With rocking blast beats, deep pounding bass, and heavy screams, “Dying to Believe” crushes fears and ignites the power to fight the oppressiveness in each and every day. The track has the perfect mix of heavy but easy to process choruses, heavy and fast verses, and the bonus of an extra heavy breakdown. Each and every minute of this track is like a wild ride on a runaway train. The track “Vice Grip” was gifted to the public before the full album release. With a very unique Classic Rock feel, this song keeps the power moving through Ire. The uplifting lyrics mixed with the Major key make this song very easy to listen to and enjoy. Not only is there an excellent melody and beat, riffs are added to give the track more excitement. From start to finish, “Vice Grip” will have everyone shouting along and echoing each and every chant.
Moving right along, “Crushed” begins with monophonically, having only one melody sung by one person. Although soon after, the same heavy and powerful sound that can be found in each and every Parkway Drive track come rushing in, crushing the listener under the weight of heavy and powerful vocals. McCall begins to ask questions with each line of the song, making one think about the way life is and if we are really living to our fullest. Even though the guitars and drums have a relatively simple melody, McCall’s powerful voice keeps roping the listener in. The devil is at the door with “Fractures,” which is yet another track with powerful vocals and intriguing guitar riffs. Lyrically, the song calls for a change that can only be achieved if mankind unites together. The heaviness can be felt with each pounding down stroke on the heavily distorted guitars. Yet again, chanting vocals can be heard crying out as a response to McCall’s words.
After the fade from “Fractures,” “Writings on the Wall” begins with the mournful sound of violins, taking the listener to a place of quiet thought. As the track begins to move forward, McCall begins to tell a story of crawling out of the dirt and the struggles one must go through to get to the top. The steady beat of drums is met with a melodic piano and the same slow violins found in the beginning of the song. Halfway through, the guitars return with a slow but strong set of riffs that retain the sadness of the track while adding a fire to the mix before the listener is returned to a mournful piano melody that sends chills through the spine.
When knocked down, all a person can do is get back up. “Bottom Feeder” brings forth the rebellious power that everyone has within. The ones who knock you down mean nothing and they will be the ones who will bow down. The song begins with a melody accompanied by a steady gallop of guitars. Yet again, the mix of powerful vocals with melodic leads and steady rhythm gives the track a flavor of excitement. The album continues with “The Sound of Violence,” a track that is reminiscent of tracks off of Bring Me The Horizon’s 2008 album, Suicide Season. The song brings forth the need to hunt down weaknesses within the listener while asking for a change within the world; raising the question, “Would you fall in line with the wrongs of the world, or will you rip it all apart?”
The rebellious attitude of Ire never leaves the album and that is never more evident than with “Vicious,” which tells a story of kings falling and men burning the world to the ground. Only the strong will survive, a group of which the power hungry are not a part of. Next, “Dedicated” shows the power of will and how it trumps any and all obstacles. No matter how hard the world tries, Parkway Drive will not break. This track is truly a heavy and restless track that keeps pounding away at the ears of the listener. No matter what the cost and no matter how hard the road gets, the power of will breaks through and keeps us moving.
Leaving the listener gasping for breath, Ire comes to a close with “A Deathless Song” which starts off with two acoustic guitars, one that plays an arpeggio for accompaniment and the other playing a lead melody. The song soon takes a turn for the heavy and brings back a surge of emotion with the same power found throughout the album. The acoustic guitars return for the beginning of the verse but are soon replaced by distorted guitars and heavy screams. The melodic track blends the character and calmness of acoustic classical styles and modern day Metalcore to form a unique sound. This closes off Ire perfectly by bringing forth the same fire from the rest of the album while still allowing the listener to feel a bit of sadness.
Overall, Ire has a special sound and a top notch quality to it. The ability to call forth emotions other than anger within the Metal genre is not an easy feat, but Parkway Drive is more than capable of doing so. The album is just another example of how talented a band Parkway Drive is and how all of their hard work has and will keep paying off. CrypticRock gives Ire 5 out of 5 stars.
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