The ban… Read Full Bio ↴Parkway Drive is a metalcore band from Byron Bay, Australia.
The band formed in the summer of 2003, their name coming from the street they used to practice on in their home town of Byron Bay, Australia. Not long after they had formed, they released a split EP with Adelaide band I Killed The Prom Queen. Later that year, the band also made an appearance on the Byron Bay Hardcore compilation What We've Built, preceded by their debut EP, Don't Close Your Eyes.
In May 2005 the PwD headed to the USA to record their debut album with renowned metal producer, Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (who is responsible for acclaimed releases from the likes of Unearth, August Burns Red, Underoath and Johnny Truant.)
Since the release of Don't Close Your Eyes, Parkway Drive have rapidly accumulated a loyal fanbase Australia-wide, courtesy of support slots for international acts including Hatebreed, In Flames, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through, Alexisonfire, and performances at Metal for The Brain 2005 and Australia's Hardcore 2005. They have built quite a strong reputation within the music industry, this led to their signing with Epitaph record label.
In June 2006 they released Killing With a Smile in the United States during August of that year.
In late May 2006, second bass player Shaun Cash left the band for personal reasons with the full support of the rest of the members. The band soon found a replacement in their "merch guy" and long-time friend, Jia "Pie" O'Connor. Now a permanent part of the line-up, he played with them for the rest of their first international tour in the United Kingdom, and Europe, and later dates in the United States.
In October 2006, they were billed as the Australian contingent on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, playing alongside Anti-Flag, Underoath, Thursday, Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday and Saosin. During November and December 2006, they appeared at the Homebake Festival, Sound Fest, Resist Records' tour, Soundwave Festival and Gravity G Festival before returning to the UK and Europe.
On 3 March 2007, a new song was previewed to a crowd at Underworld entitled "The Siren's Song". The song would later feature on Horizons. They were placed on the bill for the U.S. Vans Warped Tour 2007 as the only Australian band on the tour. On 15 August, Winston McCall appeared in an interview on the short.fast.loud show on Australia's Triple J Radio station in which he previewed a track off Horizons entitled "Boneyards".
Horizons was released on 6 October 2007. The album was generally acclaimed by critics and fans alike; especially Blunt Magazine, who wrote that the album 'simply slays from the get go' and awarded it 10/10, and planet-loud.com, which suggested that it would 'set the benchmark for metal albums to come'. It debuted at number 6 on the ARIA Charts. After the release of Horizons, the band toured through the US, Australia and Europe with such bands such as Killswitch Engage, Bury Your Dead, Darkest Hour and others.
In February/March 2008, Parkway teamed up with Byron Bay bands/friends 50 lions and Word Up!, to complete the Surf Rats Tour of east coast Australia. This tour (travelling to towns not listed on the standard touring circuit) was based around surfing big surf spots on the way.
On 12 December 2008 while performing at UNSW Roundhouse, Parkway Drive announced that they were filming a DVD of the show, which would include footage of the performance and a few songs from other bands featured in the Sweat Fest Tour. On 18 January 2009, Parkway Drive announced their headlining US tour with Stick to Your Guns and Mychildren Mybride. On 28 January to 1 February 2009, Parkway Drive went on a tour in Japan with Shai Hulud and Crystal Lake. Parkway Drive played at the 2009 Bamboozle Lineup at the Giant's Stadium parking lots; as well as being confirmed at 2009's Download Festival.
In May 2009, Parkway Drive announced that they would be releasing a live DVD and an Australian tour was also announced with August Burns Red and Architects in support of it. It was on this tour that the band performed a new song entitled "Unrest."
On 11 January 2022, the band announced a North American tour in May and June, supported by Hatebreed, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Stick to Your Guns. However, on 6 April, they announced the cancellation of the tour, stating that "the relentless nature of being in this band has given us very little time to reflect on who we are as individuals, who we want to be and the toll it is taking on ourselves and our friendships". On 23 May, it was announced that for their mental health, Parkway Drive would be taking a break from activity, but clarified that they "are here to stay".
On 7 June, following a series of teasers released on various social media, the band unveiled a brand new single entitled "Glitch" along with a music video. On 8 June, the band announced that their Fall 2022 European tour with Lorna Shore and While She Sleeps would continue as scheduled with a rebrand, and new music to accompany said tour. On 6 July, the band released the second single "The Greatest Fear" and its corresponding music video. At the same time, they officially announced that their seventh studio album, Darker Still, was set for release on 9 September 2022, whilst also revealing the album cover and the track list.
Discography:
Albums
- 2005 - Killing with a Smile (Resist Records, Epitaph Records)
- 2007 - Horizons (Resist Records, Burning Heart Records, Epitaph Records)
- 2010 - Deep Blue (Resist Records, Epitah Records, Burning Heart)
- 2012 - Atlas (Resist Records, Epitah Records, Burning Heart)
- 2015 - I.R.E.
- 2018 - Reverence
- 2022 - Darker Still
Other Releases:
- 2003 - Split EP with I Killed The Prom Queen
- 2004 - Don’t Close Your Eyes EP (Resist Records)
- 2006 - Don’t Close Your Eyes (Reissue) EP (Resist Records)
- n/a - “What We’ve Built” BBHC compilation
- 2006 - Smoke ‘Em If Ya Got ‘Em (Resist Records)
- 2007 - Boneyards (Resist Records)
- 2009 - Parkway Drive: The DVD
Members:
Current:
Winston McCall - Vocals (2003–present)
Jeff Ling - Lead guitar (2003–present)
Luke "Pig" Kilpatrick - Rhythm guitar (2003–present)
Ben "Gaz" Gordon - Drums (2003–present)
Jia "Pie" O'Connor - Bass (2006–present)
Former:
Shaun "Cashy" Cash - Bass (2004–2006)
Brett "Lagg" Versteeg - Bass & backing vocals (2003–2004)
Leviathan I
Parkway Drive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My thoughts drowned out.
Screeching and grinding resonates through a hollow shell.
There is no great wisdom.
There are no answers.
I close my eyes, but all I see is red.
I bite my tongue, but all I taste is blood.
Once again they set their traps, set their hooks, deep in my head.
Show me war.
Show me pestilence.
Show me the blood red hands of retribution.
And the abyss stares back.
Leviathan I.
To break their hold, strip the flesh straight from their bones.
Cast their limbs into the gears of the beast.
Bring this monstrosity to it's knee's.
Eye for an eye.
I'll send this world blind.
Show me war.
Show me pestilence.
Show me the blood red hands of retribution.
And the abyss stares back.
Leviathan I.
Under a blackened Sun.
Beneath a hunter's moon.
Seething.
Dogs of war, they call for blood but it will not be mine.
The lyrics of Parkway Drive’s song Leviathan I is about the struggle of one’s own thoughts and emotions. The persona in the song feels suffocated and overwhelmed by the noise inside his head, and is unable to find peace and clarity. He longs for answers and wisdom, but all he sees when he closes his eyes is red, and all he tastes when he bites his tongue is blood. The persona feels trapped by the “forked tongues” that have set their hooks deep into his head, and he wishes to break free from their hold. However, he also talks about exacting revenge, through an eye for an eye justice, by bringing down the monstrosity that has taken over his mind, and making the world pay for his pain.
The song draws its name from the Leviathan, a biblical sea monster, which is often used as a metaphor for powerful and uncontrollable forces. The word is used here to refer to the beasts that reside within the persona’s mind that he is fighting against. The persona is defiant against them, refusing to allow these beasts to claim him. He is determined to overcome these beasts and bring down the forces that are inflicting him with pain, rather than being consumed by them. The lyrics showcase the struggle between good and evil within oneself, the tension created with emotions and the struggle to free oneself from the grip of negative thoughts and beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
But there is no silence.
The turmoil within me is so strong that there is no tranquility.
My thoughts drowned out.
My mental chaos is deafening and overpowering.
Screeching and grinding resonates through a hollow shell.
A cacophony of unbearable noises echoes through my empty and hollow soul.
There is no great wisdom.
I cannot find any profound knowledge to ease my mind.
There are no answers.
I have tried, but there are no explanations to alleviate my suffering.
I close my eyes, but all I see is red.
Even when I try to escape, all I can visualize is a violent red hue, which reminds me of my pain.
I bite my tongue, but all I taste is blood.
I restrain myself from lashing out, but the bitterness of blood fills my mouth implying that I am hurting myself.
Once again they set their traps, set their hooks, deep in my head.
The triggers, whether internal or external or both, continue to shape my thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
Too naive to think these forked tongues would themselves devour.
I was foolish to believe that the same people who inflicted harm upon me would suffer the same fate.
Show me war.
I demand to witness the brutality, violence, and conflict in the world to validate my own pain.
Show me pestilence.
I desire to see the spread of deadly diseases as an expression of my own suffering.
Show me the blood red hands of retribution.
I crave for revenge, justice, and punishment to be served to those who have wronged me.
And the abyss stares back.
I feel like I am staring into the black hole of despair and the emptiness of my own soul stares back at me.
Leviathan I.
This internal beast within me, symbolized by a sea monster and an embodiment of evil, keeps on growing and threatening to consume me.
To break their hold, strip the flesh straight from their bones.
I want to sever the emotional chains that bind me to my abusers, no matter how violent the solution needs to be.
Cast their limbs into the gears of the beast.
I want to destroy the instruments of pain and torment, even if that requires a violent uprising or a gruesome revolution.
Bring this monstrosity to it's knee's.
I want to defeat the Leviathan inside me and reclaim my own identity and freedom.
Eye for an eye.
The principle of revenge, which is based on proportional retaliation, guides my actions and feelings.
I'll send this world blind.
I will blind others with my anger and vengeance, causing them to suffer the same way I did.
Under a blackened Sun.
The world seems dark, oppressive, and devoid of hope or light.
Beneath a hunter's moon.
The presence of the moon, which symbolizes hunting, tracking, and observing, implies that I am being preyed upon in a brutal way.
Seething.
I am boiling over with rage, hatred, and a feeling of being wronged.
Dogs of war, they call for blood but it will not be mine.
The antagonists, who represent warmongering and cruel authority, demand punishment, but I refuse to be their victim and instead plot to retaliate.
Contributed by Sophie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@doubletroublejesus9507
But there is no silence.
My thoughts drowned out.
Screeching and grinding resonates through a hollow shell.
There is no great wisdom.
There are no answers.
I close my eyes, but all I see is red.
I bite my tongue, but all I taste is blood.
Once again they set their traps, set their hooks, deep in my head.
Too naive to think these forked tongues would themselves devour.
Show me war.
Show me pestilence.
Show me the blood red hands of retribution.
And the abyss stares back.
Leviathan I.
To break their hold, strip the flesh straight from their bones.
Cast their limbs into the gears of the beast.
Bring this monstrosity to its knee's.
Eye for an eye.
I'll send this world blind.
Show me war.
Show me pestilence.
Show me the blood red hands of retribution.
And the abyss stares back.
Leviathan I.
Under a blackened Sun.
Beneath a hunter's moon.
Seething.
Dogs of war, they call for blood but it will not be mine
@live2sk8777
Parkway changed my entire taste in music for the better, this album was the first one I preordered and I still rock to it on the daily
@stevanmiladinovic1487
Such an underrated song and album!
@mauriciolopez171
Qñu - m y con una t5 TC qs
@hunterbible7817
Still jamming in 2018
@jswaters1978
Can't stop listening to this song, or this whole album really. Listening to Deep Blue is how I vent, they are extremely talented.
@noahmaddox7182
SHOW ME WAR, SHOW ME PESTILENCE, SHOW ME THE BLOOD RED HANDS OF RETRIBUTION!!!!
@garyhost9356
he wasn't wrong, the abyss stares back
@Fkkdbsbs
As i life long atheist it amazes me everytime how hard this biblical shit goes 😂
it think its absolutely epic here
@thanethagreat
Another epic classic, incredible fucking band
@deadasfboi
never stop being heavy guys