Looking at them, you woudln’t think that Australians Parkway Drive really possessed the requisite metalcore credentials. Decked out in cruising shorts and all laid back, they miss most of the appearance cues associated with metal. They hail from the beach town of Byron Bay as well, a surfers’ destination that doesn’t exactly shout ‘metalcore’.

However, appearances can be deceptive, and Parkway Drive have defied these expectations. Taking their name from the street where the group used to jam, Parkway Drive have grown to become one of Australia’s most acclaimed metal bands, developing their brand of extreme rock that could drag any unsuspecting listener down into the cold depths of the sea.

Having released their critically acclaimed third full length Deep Blue mid last year, the band has kept themselves busy on the road, touring everywhere from Australia to Europe. The same album won them an ARIA – Australia’s Grammys – for Best Hard Rock, Heavy Metal Album, the band’s first major gong.

Less melodic than their contemporaries such as Killswitch Engage or As I Lay Dying, the band shows an affinity for punk and hardcore music. They are signed to punk label Epitaph in the US and have shared the stage with the likes of NOFX, Bad Religion and The Warriors. In the latter band’s case, Parkway Drive lead singer Winston McCall even lent pipes for the song Panic.

While many bands in the genre nowadays are showing a tendency to flutter with overtly fanciful melodic death metal, the band’s fans appreciate their loyalty to a hardcore philosophy. It is called metalcore after all.

Edwin Lo 

Parkway Drive play Hang Out on Thursday December 8. Tickets: 8Five2, 2573 9872.