Parkway Drive

Parkway Drive: Deep BlueDeep Blue (2010)
Epitaph Records

Reviewer Rating: 0.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: SloaneDaleySloaneDaley
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on August 27th 2010People like to use the musical atrocities committed by Celine Dion in order to justify doing or saying mean things about Canada/Canadians. If Parkway Drive sticks around a little longer, I fear they may find themselves to be the Celine Dions of Australia. You know in American Psycho when Christian .

People like to use the musical atrocities committed by Celine Dion in order to justify doing or saying mean things about Canada/Canadians. If Parkway Drive sticks around a little longer, I fear they may find themselves to be the Celine Dions of Australia. You know in American Psycho when Christian Bale commands that one girl to eat the ass of the other girl? Funny stuff, right? Well, when Parkway Drive's Winston McCall would sing, he always reminded me a little bit of that scene; as a clown-clad pre-corpse Heath Ledger might ask: "Why so serious?"

Deep Blue shows a band exploring things that on paper seem pretty good: metal/hardcore and sharks. Take a record like Black Flag's My War, for instance--it was and still is a visceral communication of the experience of human alienation through metal and hardcore punk. Given the same subject matter and musical reference points, Parkway Drive end up simply sounding like a bunch of young men in dire need of hugs; someone call Mike Watt, because I hear he gives great ones.

Now onto the sharks: The furor over Shark Week is simply remarkable, and why wouldn't it be? Sharks are violent and have lots of teeth. That sounds like a good inspiration for hardcore, and if you've ever seen Parkway Drive's video for "Boneyard," you know they agree. In this context, Deep Blue can only be seen as a reference to the movie Deep Blue Sea, a movie that somehow succeeded in making sharks uncool--much in the same way this album has failed at music.

The concept of Deep Blue Sea is that there are these super intelligent sharks, but the lyrics on Deep Blue are likely to further the theory that there are highly intelligent turds out there. For example, check out he album opener "Samsara": "Freedom is slavery. War is peace. Ignorance is strength. Existence is suffering." That shit isn't even good in some contrarian sense, but shows a complete lack of understanding of the concept of the concept of Samsara found in many eastern religions and philosophies. Much like the writers of Deep Blue Sea should have never given sharks complex thought, someone shouldn't have ever given the person who wrote those lyrics access to a pen or keyboard, or hell, even a stick to make shapes in the sand. Maybe if the music behind these very dumb lyrics was somehow engaging I could get behind it, but the 20 seconds or so the actual song lasts seems to drone on for hours.

The only real consolation I can give Deep Blue is that no one attempts to sing on it. But frankly, that's it, aside from some competent drumming--that is, when he isn't busy doing stupid genre workouts of double bass attacks. The rest of the band will put you to sleep. I mean, when the guitarists ever attempt to break out of their stale riffs and tired breakdowns, things automatically must veer off into cheese metal territory, like on "Wreckage." However, "Wreckage" and songs like it lack the one thing that is somewhat redeeming in cheese metal and that is obvious musical talent; there is nothing here that seems unique that you'd specifically come to this record to hear.

I don't say this very often, but there isn't anything redeeming about this album in the lyrics, the playing of the instruments, the vocals, or the production. Parkway Drive have dialed this one in, folks, which would be excusable if someone had them arrested for crimes against the listening and they could only record via prison phone. Deep Blue was done of their own free will and own planning, however,; somewhere along the way the guys in this band said, "Hey, this would be a good idea." No, it wasn't a good idea. It was a bad one...a very bad one. Metal and hardcore deserve better than this; sharks deserve better than this; and most importantly, your ears deserve better than this.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Garrett86 (May 9, 2012)

This album is a great expansion of what they've already created. They have spread out their breakdowns and their lyrics are always terrific. For people just wanting breakdown after breakdown, grow up, because all of your favorite bands are.

sloanedaley (August 31, 2010)

When quoting literature don't associate it with things it has nothing to do with, the Orwell quote is a summation of his distopian society. Even if in some vague way you view current society as such existence being suffering is a more complex idea than life being shit, in fact thats not what it is about at all or society sucking the big one. The quote could have been fucking Baudelaire and it wouldn't have mattered because it is being used in an incorrect way.

Pro-tip: Just cuz someone hasn't read Orwell doesn't mean they aren't well read, just cuz someone hasn't read John Donne or Langston Hughes doesn't mean I think they are are a mentally stunted piece of shit.

tris (August 31, 2010)

I'm not so sure about that. I think lyrics about the contradictions of everyday life tie into the idea of constant suffering, death and eventual rebirth ('samsara'). this review still reads like snark bait.
protip: in future don't slate direct quotes from george orwell and then call someone else an "intelligent turd".

sloanedaley (August 30, 2010)

"Freedom is slavery. War is peace. Ignorance is strength."

Wow. Someone hasn't read "1984."

I haven't there is an inumerable amount of books I haven't read, I probably will never read it. Thoise statements still have nothing to do with Samsara. Wow someone doesn't know what Samsara is *pushes up glasses*.

leecorsoisapenis (August 30, 2010)

"Freedom is slavery. War is peace. Ignorance is strength."

Wow. Someone hasn't read "1984."

ryanky (August 30, 2010)

I don't think it was their best album at all, but it was ok. I can definitely see where it comes off as generic and boring, but if you are a fan of this band, you will probably enjoy the album. i thought "Unrest" was pretty cool though.

tris (August 29, 2010)

what an utterly pointless diatribe. did you really needed to spell out your dislike in such an heavy handed, obviously preaching-to-the-punknews choir fashion? I understand that lower scores are always more fun to read, but 1/10?! I don't even particularly enjoy this genre or band but I don't think they deserve to be this weeks designated 'worst band everrr!'.

score is for the new touche amore/la dispute 7".

wearestillalive (August 29, 2010)

I liked this review. It was entertaining.

scrumples (August 29, 2010)

Yeah, this conversation has led me to listen to both bands in question, and Black Congress is at least a thousand times better than these guys.

sloanedaley (August 28, 2010)

I've been listening to punk rock/hardcore for 13 years and this album without a doubt it one of the best of the year. If you don't like this metalcore/hardcore hybrid sound then don't review it. If you are a fan of music like this, you'd understand how good of an album this is. The production is incredible, the artwork is great, the drums sound epic, and the vocals are spot on.

For this album to be dismissed on this site is lazy, it's a great album and deserves more than this half assed review.

I gave a band that is hybrid of hardcore and metal an 9 for their 7" last week. NO "sound" or genre dismissed. There is good and bad, and if this was the only piece of music released in the history of man kind it would still somehow end up second the list of greatest pieces of music. It isn't good. If you've been listening to punk and hardcore for 13 years and this is the best shit you've comw up wqith to listent o this year. I can only assume youv'e been hearing but you have not been listening.

Ak3punk (August 28, 2010)

scrumples (August 28, 2010)

This is like an album review written by Shecky Greene.

punker001 (August 28, 2010)

Agree!!!! This is unlistenable and the review is bob on!!!

elliot (August 27, 2010)

I don't really like this band, but seriously? 1/10?? Seems like you're trying to hard to take such a negative stand against this style. It's not like they're Brokencyde or something. Just because young kids like it doesn't mean it's the worst shit ever.

cherrycolarain (August 27, 2010)

I'd just like to point out that I'm pretty sure those lyrics you just bashed there come from Orwell's book 1984. That said, it still doesn't give them much credibility as a band.

bubbajo (August 27, 2010)

This isnt hardcore. This isn't even shark bait.

half_head (August 27, 2010)

this review was as shitty as the record being reviewed. why even "review" an album when you know you're going to hate it from the get-go? it seems like the reviewer just went "ok, i'm going bash parkway via review on punknew LOL."

branden (August 27, 2010)

sharks got it pretty good on akimbo's "jersey shores". but yeah, i don't doubt that this is completely unlistenable.

roosterboy (August 27, 2010)

As an aussie I completely agree. Problem is too many tryhard 18 year olds over here worship them and give them a reason to keep making this shit.

Deadpan (August 27, 2010)

"sharks deserve better than this"

welcome_to_1984 (August 27, 2010)

This is the best review I have ever read on this site. HOLLEEEEE CRAP. Great takedown.

victimofadriveby (August 27, 2010)

Score is for the REVIEW. This band is one of many that make hardcore suck today!