Review || Parkway Drive - "Reverence"

Parkway Drive's new album, "Reverence", was released on May 4th on Epitaph records. From "IRE" 's release 2 years ago the Australian powerhouse had redefined their sound as well as their music style as they gave nearly a damn about. Generally the there is a metal-ish vibe throughout "Reverence" but let's dive into every song to see what it's got to offer.

The album starts with "Wishing Wells". A pretty strong song, fast and groovy. Winston's vocals are harder than his previous work as he gets some heavier tones with his voice. To be honest I expected more from a PWD's album opening song but it's undoubtedly a good song. Next is "Prey". By the moment this song started, I realized that the Aussie boys made another surf song. Pretty sing-alongs and a nice melody. In my honest opinion this is the most surfer song they've written so far. "Αbsolute Power" and "Cemetery Bloom" were the third and fourth songs, respectively and I'll be honest, I didn't like them as much as the  songs that preceded them. Up next is "Void", with its huge happy metal vibe. The track has many 80's feels as well, the solos and the powerchords make it feel that way I think. It's a pretty good song but this isn't what you would expect from this powerhouse. Following is "I Hope You Rot" which is a decent song but not exciting. Similarly, "Shadow Boxing" had a trademark PWD taste in it but failed to keep my attention. "In Blood", on the other hand, somehow got stuck in my head, the melody from the intro and the slow breakdown. As I thought about it, it hit me; the song is a banger and I feel this is one of the gems that Parkway Drive would excel performing live. "Chronos". From start to finish, this song is simply amazing. This is one of the Parkway songs that I wished would be in this release. Now, for "The Colour Of Leaving", the final track of the album, I can say that I was caught off guard. Even though the song has no electric guitars/bass in it and barely any percussion, the lyrics are really strong. The song was written in memory of many family members and friends that the band has lost over the years. Towards the outro, the existential questions posed by Winston combined with his voice breaking as he reached the end gave me goosebumps and I totally wasn't prepared for that.

Generally the album was good. Better than "IRE", for sure, but I doubt that it was better than "Atlas" or its predecessors. I'm giving it a solid 7/10, as I think that these songs were written to be performed live and knowing PWD that better be the case.

Share on Google Plus