Release Date: Sep. 12, 2005
Label: Resist
Genres: Hardcore
Number Of Tracks: 11
This is an album that will appeal to all fans of extreme music, a fact reflected in the diverse crowds that flock to Parkway Drive's packed out live shows, where it's not unusual to see metal fanatics flying around the pit with their hardcore siblings.
Killing With A Smile
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on january 23, 2006 5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Sound: Parkway Drive, simply amazing! A band that has emerged as the biggest metalcore band in Australia in a very short amount of time. With the release of their debut EP "Don't Close Your Eyes" in 2004, the band came out pumping with the 2005 release "Killing With A Smile" full of massive metal riffs and breakdowns. The LP features 11 huge tracks including the hit "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em" which was also on their 2004 EP. Also features something that we dont hear a lot of these days in metalcore, yes that's right, a guitar solo and a good one at that! It is easy to say that with the release of KWAS, Parkway Drive have set themselves up for the future. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: Winston McAll does a fantastic job with his lyrics. He has so much meaning behind what he says and he his an amazing screamer. The first two lines of the first song on the album mean a lot to me "You could never be my envy, you could never be my jealousy." // 10
Impression: This is by far the best album I own. I love this to death. It has influence my life in so many ways and I thank pwd for that. My favourite songs would be Gimme A D, Romance Is Dead, Picture, Perfect, Pathetic And Mutiny but they are all great. This is definantly an album that everyone needs to listen to at least once because it's absolutly mind blowing even if you are not into this style of music. Keep an eye for Parkway Drive touring with Miles Away all during March. // 10
Killing With A Smile
Reviewed by:
goldenphoenix1, on january 19, 2007 4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Sound: Coming into 2004, 2005, 2006, it was clear that albums from artists, specially through the heavier rock and the rap albums were transcending genre's. Things that would of been once all classified into the metal genre (Such as Thrice, Killswitch Engage and if I recall I remember seeing Underoath in the death metal section in 2004), are now mixed in stores amongst punk, the "e" word, metalcore, metal, alternative, rock and heavy metal. Many metal enthusiasists are trying to force down the throats of listeners that metal bands today are not really metal. This is the metalcore/metal debate. Having a look at my collection that I had before 2004 just before the massive explosion of heavier bands onto the scene thanks to the MTV airplay and the reignition of Headbanger's Ball, and the Taste Of Chaos tour being introduced by the organiser of Warped Tour Bill Lyman, it's clear what these metal men are on about. There are bands who express metal, like your Slayer's, Megadeath's, Slipknot's and lighter like the Deftones and Mudvayne. And bands who just belong there like the new Mastodon, Children Of Bodom and heavier to Zao. The argument is that bands like As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Killswitch Engage, Unearth and maybe even Zao (though years of experience justify their presence) who have fallen into popularity (as much as possible) of recent are not metal, because a)the sounds have evolved (too much singing, too much screaming, too many typical breakdowns) b)strayed to being too popular that they now somehow don't typify what metal is about. The point: metal to me, and hopefully to you, is the marrow of my life. Depression, Happiness, Sadness, squashed into connotations in the lyrics over various riffs and hard drumming (none of this baton snaring or triangles; It's all about hard hits plenty of symbols and bass drum, tonnes of it). Metal is also my adrenaline. It's the reason the heart beats, as it does in complex bass rhythms. When I go to concerts I long for that feeling of the bass and the riffs moving me physically, vibrating against my sternum. Metal is rage, and in all honesty it is the only music fitting during a thriller scene in a movie.
Now to Parkway Drive. In 2004 I went to a livid festival in Sydney, to see Linkin Park, who at the time had only released their first album, and were still unaffected by top40 stereotypes. I fell in the pit and got back up to see Chester jump into the crowd. I freaked. It was awesome. After they performed I saw a half dozen more acts till I got sick of screaming. I left walked to the nearest Macca's. Just across the road the bass was actually making my coke ripple. I then heard through the grapevine of The Hype Fest, a massive heavy metal festival thingo. So, I went in 2005 seeking inspiration, and then I saw Parkway Drive. The only song I remember in the euphoria was A Cold Day In Hell. For the first time I actually hit somebody in the pit. Didn't notice till he turned around grabbing his face. Luckily for me it was a massive pit. The Breakdown is the final breakdown you hear at the end of Killing With A Smile. "Through Season Change, I've watched you waste away, she'd your skin and become, reach inside your chest, and remove what's left of your blackened heart" (This One leadup is slow with a bass/floor tom hit at every first note of a bar with only feedback to backup this low howling grizzly voice behind it). Then the pause. I think my heart skipped a beat. Then Bam! Bam! Bam! The breakdown kicked in. A circle pit eventuated, around a normal pit. It was extraordinary. All I did was slash, as dust rose and spun. I listen to this song and get that unbearable urge to slash at the breakdown, and mosh or just go nuts. It's that riffing that gets you first. Simple chords, mainly open I believe with semiquaver rhythms, possible demi by the drummer. And the tempo change at the end exaggerates the lyrics, which then get you next.
The Sound, if I had to describe it from a first hand listen. It would be What The F@#$! Then after 5 listens you'll see that 9 of the tracks stand out so much that each holds on it's own. The Album, is in drop B tuning, for heavy open stringed muting, and complex rythms teamed up with dark, destructive lyrics, possible murderous, with swearing all over the songs. Adam D from Killswitch producing it, to make the album feel professional, allowing for Parkway to tour internationally with an album that doesn't sound like standard Australian producing. This is metal. This is hardcore. This is rage! // 10
Lyrics and Singing: What sets Parkway's offering apart, from that metalcore genre, and hardcore, and puts it into metal is the lyrics. Some of the songs such as Romance Is Dead and Picture Perfect, Pathetic, or Mutiny are only effective when the lyrics remain raw, and to the point, and to match the music. While songs like A Cold Day In Hell, Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em, and Anasasis are complex, holding connotations that when you read into them, you'll see this is no kindergarten fairytale, and probably would be very distressing for a psychiatrist to see. The Lyrics and The Breakdowns compiled with the use of syncopation, cross rhythms and backbeats, hold the album like lattice, or a criss cross pattern. The singer, Winston McCall has lead what is now a pretty furious genre of Australian hardcore, and has pioneered a band that to me is Australia's best metal band. If you don't believe me, ask anyone on their U.S. and European tour, and you'll see that their name being on the bottom of the promotional posters, didn't mean they were any less better on the tour. To what I've heard they actually have shown up some of the bands they opened for. Winston's voice, when you hear it, will take you to the level that Australian metal and hardcore is at. Bleeding Through, The Chariot are currently the frontrunners for the lowest, legible and heavy voice screams at the moment. Winston's is better. // 9
Impression: Being a drop dead fan for this album, I bought the epitaph version of the CD that came out, and sold my old one. The songs don't sound much different, but the album retains it's heaviness, as they didn't change a thing for the US release version. On the front, is one of those "for fans of:" stickers, which heavily dissapoints me. Seriously if you're looking for something heavy, metal, hardcore, with breakdowns, deathly tonic riffing, hard raw vocals, I urge you to buy it. I can not stress enough how groundbreaking this album is. When this album gets spread through the mainstream us market, you'll see what I am on about. I can't compare this album to many other one's. I Killed The Prom Queen's (Currently accompanying Silverstein on their tour) latest offering is encouraging, but lacks intensity which Parkway maintains throughout the whole album. Songs TO download or listen to first: Smoke 'Em, Mutiny, A Cold Day In Hell. The only niggling I have is that this album is that heavy that there's not one song you can listen to with somebody not accustomed to heavy rock. "If it were stolen/lost, would you buy it again or get something else?" Already bought it twice. I hope you go and listen to Parkway Drive's, Killing With A Smile; It'll change your perspective of Metal forever. // 10
Killing With A Smile
Reviewed by:
heavy_metal_kid, on december 11, 2006 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: My first impression of the album was, don't hate me for this, I thought it was crap. Then I listened to it again and relized it was the love of my life! Don't ask me what made me change my mind dramaticly but I thank it. The riffs are frantic and the drums power this aussie masterpiece through some of the best metal I have ever heard. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are some thing out of writers wet dream. The sad lyrics seem to intertwine with the agressive music so well that words can't explain it. And, for the record, Winston McCall's sceaming is brillent although hard to understand at times. On some of the tracks, like Romance Is Dead, you can feel the heartbreak and emotion that goes into the words. // 9
Impression: This is by far my fav metal album. It's great to see more artist hitting the heavy scean. Every single song on this is a work of art but my favs are Romance Is Dead, Gimmie A D and Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em. If it got stolen or lost, I would cry, reject the world for thiry years to build a time machine to go to myself in the past to warn me and lock it in a safe with guard dogs. These guys, along with I Killed The Prom Queen, are leading the way for a new wave of aussie metal! // 10
definately 1 of the best bands going around and better yet theyre aussie!!! love this cd, pandora kicks ass and its hard to speak without a tongue is awesome
At this very moment in time, in what we call modern metal , this album is hands down, the best offering I've seen. There's is nothing to be critical of, other than the fact that if it had come out during the times that Unearth - Strings of Conscience and Killswitch Engage - Alive Or Just Breathing came out (let's say the early 2000's), then these guys would be right there w/ said bands.
However, it's 2007, and many bands have already mostly perfected this breed of metal.
Bands like PWD, August Burns Red, I Killed The Prom Queen, are improving the music, but so far, nothing is mind blowling original. It's just better. Sure, it's better than what the old bands were doing 1/2 a decade ago, but, sure, these bands have had 1/2 a decade to polish it.
So, I'm torn. On the one hand, this band is IMO, the best of the new breed at this very moment. But on the other hand, it's not very timely .
One way to put it, is that I'd have a lot easier time admitting my positive thoughts of this album (and this band) if this album was at least their 4th, but, it's really they're first, and the stuff before this was smaller EP - demo stuff (which is still surprisingly good even w/o epitaph and Adam from KSE).
If you don't own this, but you think you like metalcore, then don't be a jackass. Go get this album. And then if you're an american, and fortunate to live on the western half of the US, go see them. I took 2 days off from work just to see them next week. They don't cross the pond enough.
amazing band.amazing album.amazing everyhing about them. their lyrics have so much meaning,the guitars are brutal, and the drums are intensely heavy and the bass is awesome!
these guys are awesome. saw them in manly. was awesome!
although, there are other good aussie metal/hardcore bands, like carpathian, i killed the prom queen (although they have broken up), the red shore, her nightmare etc. all good stuff though.
SICK band.
my friend ripped me a CD including this and Horizons,
I'm going out to support them and buy both their albums this weekend.
Hope they tour Canada soon.
This album is amazing, It absolutely blew my mind when I first heard them, the only problem is I like the original version of smoke em if you got em better, I don't know if its off their first cd or wasn't on an album, but its a better version of the song. Can't wait for them to come to Florida!
