The charismatic 5 band mates are anything but laid back. They have the ability to involve the crowd when they are playing their seriously hardcore metal music, even though they may have the deceiving look of a bunch of surfer boys. Their sound is among some of the heaviest metal, however.
In August, 2005, they released their first full-length album, “Killing with a Smile” which launched a frantic and rushed series of live performances and tours. Parkway Drive performed as an opening act in Australia and other countries. This allowed them to increase their popularity because of the visibility and they garnered more fans worldwide.
Parkway Drive band members currently include:
– Lead Vocalist Winston McCall
– Drummer and Percussionist Ben Gordon
– Lead guitarist Jeff Ling
– Rhythm guitarist Luke Kilpatrick
– Bass guitarist “Pipey” O’Connor
They started playing to American audiences in August of 2006 when Epitaph Records signed the group in June and then released “Killing with a Smile” to American fans. Enormous success for the group started in 2006 while on the Taste of Chaos Tour and their favorites like Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, and Saosin were part of the set. Parkway Drive merch sales thrived as fans wanted souvenirs of the tour appearances. The Homebake Festival, Soundwave Festival, Gravity G Festival, and Sound Fest, where the group played in the last 2 months of 2006, sealed their position as a fan favorite.
The group enjoyed continued success through 2007 when they played at Underworld, which included the first live performance of “The Siren’s Song”. When asked to participate in the 2007 US Vans Warped Tour, Parkway Drive was the only Australian band to win the honor. When they released their album, “Horizons” in October, 2007, it scored a 10/10 from Blunt Magazine. Going straight to #6 on the ARIA charts upon its release, the album managed to stay in the top 40 for many weeks. With a sound that resembled Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”, the “Horizons” album’s success was attributable to the US Vans Warped Tour in 2007 and Parkway Drive’s exclusive position as the only Australian band on the tour was partly responsible.
Music Highlights in Brief: Album Releases were: 2005 release of Killing with a Smile 2007 release of Horizons. Singles and Music Videos include: Boneyards
2008 release of Smoke ‘em if Ya got ‘em
2009 was kicked off in style when Parkway Drive announced in January that they would be headlining a US tour that included both Stick to Your Guns and MyChildren MyBride. Currently the band is in the midst of their cross-country tour. Parkway Driver merchandise including tees, posters and hoodies, are selling well as fans continue to show support for one of the heaviest of the new metal icons. 2 singles by the group getting a lot of current airplay include “Idols and Anchors” and “Romance is Dead”. “Carrion” and “Guns for Show, Knives for a Pro” also continue to attract a large number of downloads.