Parkway Drive Brings a Night of Metal Madness to Charlotte

The Darker Still Tour Sells Out The Fillmore

“Close your eyes, let your mind submit

Are you ready? Three, two, one…”

Did you feel it? The glitch in your cortex? On Wednesday night Charlotte-area metal fans sure as hell did as the Australian metalcore machine of Parkway Drive slammed into the Fillmore like a freight train. The band is currently out on tour in support of their latest record Darker Still and brought their metalcore madness to a sold-out crowd here in the Queen City.

The night began with a little American metalcore courtesy of Currents. Hailing from Connecticut, Currents brings everything we love about metal with bone-crunching riffs and brutal breakdowns. Although the band lineup has changed over the years, the current members have solid chemistry and work well together in a live setting.

Lead vocalist Brian Wille was on point, alternating between cleans and screams throughout the set while guitarist Chris Wiseman lit it up. Their set was short but definitely high-energy getting the crowd going early on with songs from their upcoming record The Death We Seek. If you’re heading out to a show on the tour, be sure to get there early and catch Currents. They are definitely in the not-to-be-missed category.

If you’ve ever been to a Vans Warped tour, then you are probably familiar with the next act, Texas metalcore greats Memphis May Fire. These guys have been around for well over a decade and have been tearing it up on countless tours ever since. I’ve seen them on so many tours, I can’t possibly count them all but you know what? Memphis May Fire just keeps on getting better and better. One thing is for sure, no matter where or when they are on the stage, they give it everything they’ve got.

Frontman Matty Mullins is a commanding presence onstage and his vocals are second to none. Guitarist Kellen McGregor is nothing short of fierce and the rhythm section of bassist Cory Elder and drummer Jake Garland drove a frenzied pace. Musicianship aside, what really sets the band apart is their stellar songwriting and we were treated to a healthy dose of it from their latest record Remade In Misery. Matty had the fans going crazy and the crowd surfing began to pick up as their set continued. It was another terrific performance from Memphis May Fire. This band truly never disappoints.

Finally, it was time for what the crowd had been waiting for as it was almost time for Parkway Drive to make its appearance. It’s been a while since the band has toured in the States and it seems like forever since they made it to Charlotte so everyone had been anticipating this night for a very long time. Before the band hit the stage, fans were singing along to classic rock songs like “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” before the chants of “Parkway Drive! Parkway Drive!” began to echo across the Fillmore.

The lights went dark and our patience was about to pay off because we were about to experience an absolutely epic night of music. The band burst right into “Glitch” off their latest album Darker Still and it was on like Donkey Kong. Did I really just say that? Yes, yes I did. The excitement in the venue was off the charts and we were all feeling that rise of pent-up energy that was about to burst. Right before the breakdown, vocalist Winston McCall got down low, waiting, waiting, still waiting, and boom! There it was! The crowd surfers began rising in the air at a furious pace while Parkway Drive lit things up like a fireworks show. Phew! We were only one song in and it was already insane.

Drummer Ben Gordon and bassist Jia O’Connor were situated on their own risers at the rear of each side of the stage as they kept the rhythms pounding all night long. Guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick were on fire, banging out ridiculous riffs and searing solos at every twist and turn. But make no mistake about it, when it comes to stage presence, this is Winston’s show. He had complete control of the crowd like a mad, metal puppeteer, urging them on every second as the intensity grew higher and higher.

“Hope for the hopeless

A light in the darkness

Hope for the hopeless

You’ve got one life, one shot

Give it all you got…”

This was the kind of show where you step outside of yourself for the evening. You forget about all the crap that you deal with every day in life, put aside the sadness and the worry and the fear, and just let it all go. And let it go we did! Screaming at the top of our lungs along to “Vice Grip,” we were all one, one metal family, a communion of souls with metal hearts and there is nothing, anywhere that compares to that feeling.

The crowd surfing has nothing short of insanity, with bodies going up everywhere you looked, and right after “Karma,” Winston took a minute to acknowledge the spectacular crowd. As he said, “Color me impressed Charlotte,” the intensity ramped up even more and then he spotted something he just had to point out as he asked a young fan how old they were. The fan in question happened to be only 8 years old and was crowd surfing along with the best of them. McCall mentioned that the band rarely sees young fans in the crowd at their shows and definitely not crowd-surfing. Someone and I’m not sure who suggested that the fan be brought up on stage and guess what? They absolutely invited the fan on the stage to rock out to the next song as the crowd erupted. The band kicked it into overdrive for “Boneyards” as Winston put the young fan up on his back as the band raced around in circles on the stage. It was an incredible sight and for one lucky, young, fan a memory they will never, ever forget.

After that scene, it was absolute chaos for the rest of the night as Parkway Drive took Charlotte to new heights with a two-song encore of “Crushed” and “Wild Eyes” that brought down the house. Intense enough to check and make sure that everything was still standing in the craziest, best possible way.

What a freaking show! Parkway Drive was everything we had hoped for and much, much more. It was a thrilling ride and I can’t wait to take it again the next time they come to town. If you’re looking for the metal show of the year, look no further and snag your tickets to Parkway Drive before your city sells out.

Click Here for the Full Gallery of the Evening!

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