Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Parkway Drive - Reverence (2018)
The metalcore scene is a bit strange, only being as relevant as nu metal from 20 years ago. It becomes much harder to be taken seriously by people outside the scene, and it's rarer to any metalcore classics released in the 2010s than in the 2000s. Experimentation with other genres is a route used by many current metalcore bands to try to gain more attention, and unfortunately, that causes some initially metalcore bands like Bring Me the Horizon to switch to mainstream pop rock, replacing diminished breakdowns with massive powerful chorus. Parkway Drive is one of the bands who have done that but they still have their metal!
Parkway Drive released Ire in 2015, and that album began their mainstream direction, just by adding classic heavy metal elements without losing heaviness. That resulted in Ire being an impressive metalcore classic, but for the heavier metalheads, not as awesome as their albums before it. The band thought perhaps their new album Reverence would strike up more revered success. Sadly, it marks their transition from most of their metalcore into classic heavy/alt-metal.
But that doesn't mean there can't be an incredible opening track of promise, "Wishing Wells"! It starts with an acoustic intro that soon transforms into classic-sounding metal with the metalcore elements of furious riffs and brutal vocals, along with more poetic lyrics than other metalcore bands have attempted. Like I said before, that's the song my alt-rock-loving brother suggested I listen to despite being part of their least metalcore album that made me interested in this band. Thanks bro! "Prey" continues that classic melodic sound with a shuffling beat and riff with epic harmonic guitars in the bridge. That song, along with the more powerful mixed up "Absolute Power" deals with the theme of political fame and fortune. "Absolute Power" is similar to the earlier Slipknot in the riffing.
"Cemetery Bloom" is a somewhat cheesy progressive ambient ballad/interlude with ominous strings and chanting. That track is a tribute to Winston McCall's wife and her selflessness. Seguing from that intro is "The Void", an Avenged Sevenfold-like modern metal track with a melodic chorus too similar to Five Finger Death Punch. That guitar solo is a sweet touch, though. "I Hope You Rot" sounds more like epic power metal in the guitar melodies and melodic chants, while the lyrics describing a case of child abuse in a Catholic church. Sadly, the song fades out at the point when the guitar gets really good.
"Shadow Boxing" introduces something different to the band; clean vocals and piano! It's a dark epic song, despite the strange rapping vocals throwing me off. "In Blood" is another strong track, though not as remarkable or expanded in the sound. "Chronos", at 6 minutes and 20 seconds in length, is both the longest track of the album and the longest one ever made by the band. The first half of the song is the typical metalcore fare before that half is wrapped up by a killer guitar solo. Then there's an ominous soft break before the second half really begins with a strong guitar melody building up to a climatic guitar solo followed by symphonic strings. Now that's epic! Sadly it all fades out when it's at the point of greatness, but it might as well because we don't want it to run for so long. That's what fade-outs are for, right? Closing the album is the outro ballad, "The Colour of Leaving", leaving behind clean guitar and orchestral strings, alongside Winston McCall clean singing and talking before walking off into the unknown.
Overall, Reverence has both great strengths and not-so-great weaknesses, but when it comes to experimentation, they really managed to avoid the direction their metalcore peers took which was betraying their own sound by changing to pop rock. Instead, Parkway Drive continues their metalcore heaviness of their previous works while having this new melodic classic sound that continues their quest to find a better experiment. For now, this album would surely get mixed reactions, both from the mainstream and classic listeners who would recommend it to their peers and the heavier metalcore listeners who would avoid it at all costs. Reverence is pretty much of a step down from Ire and other previous albums, but if you're more open-minded, lots of good things can be found here....
Favorites: "Wishing Wells", "Prey", "I Hope You Rot", "Shadow Boxing", "Chronos"