Something Old; Something New - Parkway Drive/Holy Fawn Dual Album Review

Parkway Drive has gone from one of the mega titans of the metalcore kings to one of the most divisive. Architects and PWD are very similar as they have become the biggest they have been commercially selling out amphitheaters creating new music built for crowds of thousands. With their most recent release, Darker Still; this one has become the biggest gap in the fanbase. Is it for lack of taste in diverse music? Not wanting good ol' Parkway Drive to change sound or is the album really full of more holes than we're let on to be.

I guess to start with the biggest talking point and concern is the writing on these tracks. Beginning with Ground Zero the first 30 seconds could make or break this album for you. Lyrics feel "stiff" holding itself to very bland. Instrumentally sound. Glitch An ever looping riff that grows tired within the first two minutes, final changeup in breakdown/bridge but it is already too late. Followed by a lackluster track, The Greatest Fear that strecthes a riff beyond repair on an exhausting 5 and a half minute track. Bad stack, whatever payoff at the end doesn't even matter as it stumbles back into it's disjointed chorus. Then there is the worst example later in the tracklist...If A God Can Bleed is a giant headscratcher that fans hope to never hear live. With awkward lyrics like "Fat little piggy with his head on the block" or " like....what? There is also Winston's growly spoken word adds nothing good to the track.

Now it isn't all bad when Parkway Drive doesn't give their original metalcore sound. The title track, Darker Still slows down even more than the previous two tracks (odd succession in singles) Riff is entertaining and progresses well from acoustic to electric. The song carries itself well and could be Parkway Drive breaking ground.

I also found some enjoyment in Like Napalm. It is a lot stronger with some wild and fun use of fast paced shredding guitars, the structure feels sounds massive and brings a lot of energy. Soul Bleach feels like a blast from the past being this deep in the album. Honestly, it was more like a "Oh, finally!" reaction coming from me. It is loud, iconic sweeping throughout, fantastic chugging, and an erupting chorus. One of; if not the highlight of this album.

Land of the Lost treads back to a slower pace that continues on a hot streak on the tail end of the record. At this point, the strength of the lyrics never reached anything from previous albums. From the Heart of Darkness finishes with a strong chorus where Winston drops his voice down to very visceral growling, "Ripped from the heart of darkness, Torn; torn from the torment of the soul." It is an epic sound to the record that ends better than where it started. I think it comes down to a better approach to their new sound, not too jarring in sound but different enough to show evolution from where Parkway were. Overall, on relisten there are only a handful of tracks I find worth going back to as there are just songs that feel like carbon copies from Ire and Reverence. Not that the songs on this album are out of place, but feel like they used their previous sound and replicated the structure. Overall thoughts on Darker Still, mostly depends on your thoughts of Parkway Drive's discography. It is interesting to see where the band has been and where they go and if it broadens themselves across a larger audience that is great because these songs have that power despite a consistently blended sound. Not an overall downgrade for Parkway Drive but there is some caution to be taken going forward with the band. 65% Best: Soul Bleach, Darker Still, From the Heart of Darkness Least Favorite: If A God Can Bleed, The Greatest Fear, Ground Zero,

Holy Fawn is a band I never knew existed until they opened for Deafheaven. The contrast between the bands is almost flawlessly. While the live show was great and the longer tracks were executed well; the real power of this band is the awe-inspiring atmosphere which is why Death Spells gathered so much appeal. Lyrically, the songs are crafted structurely like a black/shoegaze with poetic rhythms swaying under a loud, haunting, and chill inducing production. The use of the vocals almost feels ghostly that work for and sometimes against the album and the band as a whole. Although when it works, the result feels blissful. Dimensional Bleed as an album looks to expand on the noise the outfit as already created. Holy Fawn uses empty space as a tool with a lot of minimalist sounds meeting loud, abrasive and even levitating crescendos. The album starts with some kind of cassette tape being played as Hexsewn begins. The opening is an extended introduction to the lyrical themes of afterlife or purgatory the character is in and sets the scene of the darkest colors of a beautiful cold forest. Death is a Relief channels a soaring vocal melody through an old lo-fi image. The song utilizes the band's strengths to the max and the outfit altogether paints this picture wonderfully to the cold melancholic song and the buildup to a clashing finale already shows the improvements the band has made. Followed by this, is a longer stretch that muddles the way through despite the strong ambience lingering on every note with Lift Your Head + Empty Vials as they drive a slower beat with echoing dissonance, heavy use of cymbals leading to a drum filled outro as it slowly overtakes the song and erupts within the final minute. Stylistically and in terms of the album, they work well but on their own. Well, they're more style than substance. At the halfway point, the album goes in a different direction with Amaranthine. It lightens up with more promenient vocals and bittersweet writing, "Press my heart; In your heart like leaves. Flattened between heavy pages, Fall asleep in a knotted heap." Before develing back into the dark and dreary territory with the title track. Dimensional Bleed uses horror-esque piano leading to a very thunderous and horrifying chorus, "All the leaves breathing forth; I feel like I am nothing, while they bloom." The sense of dread goes full kilter here almost angry feeling both empty and self-less. The lowest point in the album comes right before the best with Sightless where the aesthetic of the album gives way a little here as it sounds derivative to what the band and this genre has done before. Followed by a great trio of songs to finish off the album. Void of Light starts a change of pace utilizing glimmering guitars and synths. The distinct sound capitalizes on a strong image of a winter forest with a setting sun shining tspilling through the trees. It really is amazing how immersive it gets from here on out; Kicking into high gear with True Loss; the peak of the album. The track perfectly encapsulates an uphill battle resulting in a grand and emotional victory. It caught me off guard with its lyrics. On paper, the lyrics are poetic and very endearing; added to the booming ending that felt reminiscent of The National's live rendition of About Today. It truly is the strongest track on the album and is part of an excellent finale. Concluded with the outro, Blood Memory that feels very clear minded. The background piano, strings on top of a static space. It is a real cathartic way to end this dark but remarkable listen as the record ends on a loop of purgatory, repeating the introduction to the album. Seeing the last three songs as a sign of "acceptance" is done brilliantly. Overall, there is so much to love about this album despite its shortcomings, Holy Fawn has a bright future ahead of them with some stellar songwriting on this album. 80% Best: True Loss, Void of Light, Hexsewn, Blood Memory Least Favorite: Sightless, Empty Vials