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Street Dogs - State of Grace
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Parkway Drive, the latest emo-kid metal mashup imported to the U.S., succeeds in one of the important, but rarely defendable aspects of music. Following the eyeliner and glitter-sprinkled trail across the pond of Britain’s Bullet for My Valentine and Germany’s Caliban, Australia’s Parkway Drive is, too, an impressive practitioner of imitation done well. And while the brash harvesting of Slayer riffage probably won’t fool any mid-30 year-old with coiled locks past his shoulders, the band’s emo/hardcore target audience will surely be wowed into approval at the heavy dose of soaring guitar solos and hyper-macho breakdowns.

If you’ve heard Parkway Drive and were paying at least a little attention through the first paragraph, there’s a good chance you’re ready to contest the association drawn to what I loosely refer to as “emo.” And while you’re correct that Rites of Spring bears little influence on Parkway Drive, the 2007 conceptualization that aligns more with an image and an emotionally burdened message is absolutely present. It’s more than just the visual reflections that pin them to a far different identity than them despite their similarities. Part of it may be the incestual imitation that picked up when Avenged Sevenfold hit it big, eventually wrangling the Devil Wears Prada, Bullet for My Valentine, August Burns Red and any other exemplification of badass-meets-lame-ass bands. And with lyrics like, "Still I’m choking on the words I should have said one thousand times / And I’m cursing every memory / And I’m holding on until there’s nothing left to save / Let every scar still bear your name / Every scar still bears an angel’s face," there’s little room to contest such an association.

Still, it’s clear that the kids in Parkway Drive have at least listened to enough metal (and metalcore) to draw on its form and intricacies and spit out something halfway convincing. There are times, like in the ear drum assaulting “Feed Them to the Pigs” and “Breaking Point" that the ghost of Pantera cum excessive breakdowns ekes out with impressive guitar soloing to boot. However, there are also those spans, like the four-minute “Five Months” filled with a metal by numbers formula that demonstrate why a band like Parkway Drive can’t ascend from the third or fourth tier of modern metal.



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    Posted by sugarfull on 2007-11-09 13:44:47

    the reason is that most of these bands aren't very good.

    Posted by LeightonESmith on 2007-11-09 04:33:13
    My Score:

    Its almost impossible for a band playing this style of music to get a good score on the 'Org.

    Score is for the genre bias.

    Posted by sugarfull on 2007-11-09 00:21:17

    Yes, I agree. Shitty lyrics can bring it down, a lot if the band is on the fence.

    and yes, the guy kind of does look like Owen Wilson. Hopefully, he pulls an Owen Wilson, but more successful.

    Posted by brown on 2007-11-08 22:26:56

    as an aside.. that one dude looks like a scenester owen wilson..

    that's kinda creepy..

    Posted by miff on 2007-11-08 16:39:17

    wish id been bothered to get tickets to see them
    not at all to see them bu to see comeback kid, cancer bats, this is hell and warriors(well maybe not quite so much warriors) who are supporting them
    it was a bit of an odd coupling though

    Posted by JonDaley on 2007-11-08 16:13:02

    yes I do agree to some extent, except with the crappy part I don't mind if the music or lyrics are just average but crappy isn't really worth anyone's time. Judging lyrics is a different sort of thing than literature mind you, but if the music or lyrics are simply average that brings down the overall package wouldn't you say?

    Posted by sugarfull on 2007-11-08 12:29:32

    Well, now that we've agreed that lyrics do not factor into genre distinction, I'm going to tackle the heart of your post.

    Simply put, lyrical quality and musical quality can be related, but they are not mutually inclusive or exclusive. You can have a great band with crappy lyrics, and a crappy band with great lyrics.

    Posted by JonDaley on 2007-11-08 09:01:54

    1. me too! specialist actually, so there is no need for 25 cent words here.

    2. Your statement was judging not basing a genre distinction.

    3. I have an Indian Summer record as my top album I think I have a slight idea of what emo sounds like.

    4. Learn some Canadian.

    Posted by sugarfull on 2007-11-07 21:17:02

    "The whole stance that "lyrics" don't matter is the same reason kids listen to shit bands and treat english class in high school like a joke or a bird course or something."

    1. I'm an English major, so your ad hominem crap has no basis whatsoever.
    2. I value good lyricists in music; I just understand that it is the sound of the music, rather than the band's lyrics, that defines the genre.
    3. Stop calling things "emo". Emo implies a certain sound, which Parkway drive does not have.
    4. What the fuck is a bird course?

    Posted by -Strewtho- on 2007-11-07 17:40:26
    My Score:

    I apologise on behalf of Australia.

    Down with tight pants and shitty screaming metalcore.

    Posted by wentz_equals_death on 2007-11-07 17:25:53

    why do they make me take english anyway? i already know how to speak it, dur

    Posted by onegirlarmy on 2007-11-07 13:57:08

    that didn't post for some reason...

    Cant stand this shit.

    This band is so big over here in Australia its sad. Them, I killed the prom queen and Carpathian all should fuck off

    IKTPQ broke up.

    Posted by onegirlarmy on 2007-11-07 13:56:27

    Cant stand this shit.

    This band is so big over here in Australia its sad. Them, I killed the prom queen and Carpathian all should fuck off

    Posted by inagreendase on 2007-11-07 09:05:09

    Lets just admit that everyone that reviews albums on this site, hate metalcore

    C'mon dude, I gave Underoath 3.5 stars. Underoath! And I stand by that.

    Posted by JonDaley on 2007-11-07 01:13:14

    I don't see where you're getting this "emo-metal" stuff from. Judging a bands sound by how they look and their lyrics is riddiculous.

    yeah lyrics aren't important at all it is only you know the message the band is putting forth. The lyrics he used in the review aren't actually thw worst I've ever seen or anything. The whole stance that "lyrics" don't matter is the same reason kids listen to shit bands and treat english class in high school like a joke or a bird course or something. fuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk. thanks.

    Posted by jimbojones on 2007-11-07 00:47:12
    My Score:

    Yes, there is some impressive musicianship in this cd, and these guys are obviously talented. But it's the same old shit over and over again. You see more bands like this popping up in Australia and the kids are eating this shit up like it's going out of fashion... Which i hope it is.

    Posted by Capnhawk on 2007-11-06 20:04:47

    'It's not that we hate metalcore, it's that this band- and most bands of it's ilk- play some of the most uninspired drivel and pass it off as br00tal and hardcore and extreme. Give me a fucking break. Sure they can play their instruments, but there is no emotion in it. They just go through the motions until they pull of a boring breakdown that seems to send kids into a frenzy.

    they're all a bunch of fucking idiots.'

    This perfectly sums up my views on this band other bands a lot like it.

    Atleast they don't have ridiculous hair cuts and super tight jeans. They look like they came out of the latest surfing magazine.

    Posted by punk_rawk_show on 2007-11-06 19:07:21

    Cant stand this shit.

    This band is so big over here in Australia its sad. Them, I killed the prom queen and Carpathian all should fuck off

    Posted by sugarfull on 2007-11-06 19:01:29
    My Score:

    I don't see where you're getting this "emo-metal" stuff from. Judging a bands sound by how they look and their lyrics is riddiculous.

    This CD is more of the same old same old metal thats been done for decades now, just with tight pants and exaggerated breakdowns.

    If people want a real "brutal" record, they need to check out Pestilence's debut LP, Consuming Impulse. That record is riddiculously good.

    Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2007-11-06 17:36:58

    Lets just admit that everyone that reviews albums on this site hate metalcore
    I can't speak for everyone, but I don't have a problem with metalcore when there's a little substance to it.

    http://www.punknews.org/review/6138

    http://www.punknews .org/review/6559

    http://www.punknews.org/review/6590

    http:/ /www.punknews.org/review/6651

    Posted by brown on 2007-11-06 17:34:28

    It's not that we hate metalcore, it's that this band- and most bands of it's ilk- play some of the most uninspired drivel and pass it off as br00tal and hardcore and extreme. Give me a fucking break. Sure they can play their instruments, but there is no emotion in it. They just go through the motions until they pull of a boring breakdown that seems to send kids into a frenzy.

    they're all a bunch of fucking idiots.

    Posted by douglas_is_rad on 2007-11-06 15:57:31

    The guys opened for Comeback Kid and This is Hell awhile back. Not only did they suck, but the only fight of the night broke out during their set.

    Metalcore is the cancer that's killing most hardcore scenes.

    Posted by xjustx24 on 2007-11-06 15:10:27
    My Score:

    Lets just admit that everyone that reviews albums on this site, hate metalcore, this album was great, even if their lyrical content is about losing a girl, big deal, still doesnt take away from the fact tht the album was heavy as fuck for metalcore!

    Posted by wentz_equals_death on 2007-11-06 13:55:38

    that metal by numbers video is so awesome

    Posted by XCARLUPANDDIEX on 2007-11-06 13:44:58
    My Score:

    i am not into this genre at all, but i like this disc.

    Posted by DiscoFucker on 2007-11-06 12:55:19

    The only thing good about this band was the intro to the song Mutineer. That was badass.

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