I get that they're not 20 year olds playing heavy shit in tiny venues any more, and I understand that they wanted to mature, but goddamn. These lyrics and delivery sound infinitely more juvenile than any of their early material.
This has always been my point. Bands evolving their sound is perfectly fine, as long as they dont sacrifice quality in their writing. But thats exactly what PWD has done. Its terrible nonsense now
I'm Gunna respectfully disagree, the quality is there. It just doesn't resonate with you like the old stuff does. There's really no difference in the writing style it's just different subject matter.
@@jebbyy32 I mean that really depends on what you call quality. The lyrics I'll agree that aren't that far from their usual, although they are soo vaguely revolutionary, a "sMaSH ThE iNsTiTuTiOn To PiEcEs" kind of thing, a classic technique of lyricists with a lack of anything substantial to say. And their once strong riffs have devolved to really same-y ones and most of the songs are even on the same tempo. Even Reverence didn't have that amount of repetition, and all that while still being on the verge of mediocre radio dad metal. For the sake of creating arena anthems, they've become insanely formulaic, and to refuse that is just ignorant. If you like it, more power to you though.
The drums on this record sound fucking amazing which is so unfortunate bc most of the time they’re not doing anything interesting due to the weak song writing
winston did say that this album was recorded during the pandemic and they feared that this would be the end of music so they tried so many new things because they thought this would be their last album
@@abc4781if this would have been their last album than fuck that would have been disappointing as shit but to be honest since its just gonna get worse from here it wouldnt be terrible if this was their last,their just gonna pile more shit on their golden albums to the point no one will know who they really were
agree but imperial heretic is, I think the 2nd worst song on the record. The lyrics are so cringy. As if teenager wrote it. But the lyrics in general are terrible
1. Winston: He can't sing, his lyrics and delivery on this album were insanely cringe and empty and he seems to be forcing his Nick Cave LARP on the band with disastrous effects. 2. The drummer has checked out since Ire. He apparently refuses to play anything more complex than absolute beginner child level. 3. While Jeff is without doubt the biggest musical talent in the band, his riffs have become repetitive and stale. The overuse of the wah pedal leads is so grating. Some riffs are pathetically basic & dull as well. 4. The producer is the same one since Ire and it sounds like it. He arranges the most repetitive sounding songs over and over again. He uses this disney pirate melodic resolve in almost every song. Seems like a Yes-Man who doesn't tell the band when they're creating bland crap. Worst album they've released would be an understatement. I guess just playing to festival crowds to make a living is what they're in it for now.
I honestly liked When We Were Young and Deep fake. I feel like calling it straight up garbage would be a bit over the top but at the same time I can understand why fans would be disappointed, especially since their technical riffs and lyrics with great depth are nowhere to be seen.
At least for architects every song is enjoyable and a fast grower....and according to the Sam's comment "This album will surprise all the fans of the band" Beside,deep fake and tear gas are what you will expect from a great metalcore band....not game changing like holy hell or lost forever.but still these are bad ass songs
@@mattcubed9658 They dont offend me. They are simply bad lyrics. For example, Gates of ivory by Dayseeker is obviously an anti religious song but the lyrics are really good and interesting. But parkway drives always sound like some edgy black metal weirdo that tries to be cool when it comes to anti religious song. But maybe my opinion offends you. Doesn't it?
PWD use to be my favorite band. Their sound was very much at the heart of metalcore to me, and one of the best at that sound. The lyrics were deep, their tone was unique, their riffs were original and brutal, and just overall they felt authentic... Since Ire, their music seems lifeless to me, like they are just going through the motions. Maybe this is the music they have always wanted to do, idk. I have nothing against a band changing and trying new things, but parkway for some reason only sounds good and unique to me as a metalcore band, this is hard rock, and has no unique value to me, but that's just my opinion. The lyrics are cringy now, and seems pretentious to me actually, the guitar riffs are now all similar and in the higher key, which I'm not into with guitar riffs, very glam metal.
clearly they're burnt out, no matter what BS they say about always watning to make this music, it's just really obvious that they've lost thier edge and have no new ideas for decent metalcore. this album is just lazy forced crap and it's been made just to try and keep making money
I thought Reverence was an excellent album, That’s the album that introduced me to PWD. I absolutely love ‘Prey’ - especially, the music video. I really dig the masculine elegance, in Winston’s movements, in that video (except, he shoulda worn different pants with that shirt, lol). Also, super agree, with you, about the higher key guitar riffs - always reminds me of glam metal, and I can’t freakin’ stand it.
I really love parkway drive. From don‘t close your eyes to reverence i loved pretty much every song and i liked the way they were evolving. I even love some of the songs from darker still, but this album feels very odd to me. Seems kind of heartless to me, there are almost no deeper meanings in the songs and these experimental songs like stranger or if a god can bleed don‘t fit at all. The song darker still fails as a ballad because as you said: they already did some great ballads i enjoy listening to.
Soul Bleach is the only one that found its way to my playlist. I like that they're doing their own thing. But it's just not for me. Edit: If god can bleed is actually so bad it gets worse and worse the more you listen to it. EDIT PART 2: Never checked out the lyrics for Soul Bleach. I might have to remove it from my playlist lmao.
Yeah, for a few listens I thought I might actually like “Soul Bleach” for the heaviness, but it still boils down to a lack of substance. Plus, the callouts are total ear diarrhea on this album
the fact that Winston (Or whoever took the band hostage and compelled them to commit this atrocity) wrote the line that MURDERED Star Wars into this album, AND did it like it was such a brutal phrase says approximately EVERYTHING anybody needed to know about the entire record. And I'm not even a faithful parkway fan in the slightest.
They've gone mainstream, radio friendly and bubble-gum tasty. Their earlier stuff was fucking raw, when they had nothing to loose and didn't give a fuck. This album is so far departed from their earlier stuff and is completely soulless...
I've never sat down, listened to an album and felt like I've wasted an hour doing so before but that's what it was like to for this record. I Hope they gain some new fans from this but it isn't for me, it's like you said in your reaction they are all getting older so it's going to be different now, as long as they like what they put out thats what matters.
I would still kill for a reaction to Vessels by Starset. Not a new album, but might be a good palate cleanser after whatever this album was supposed to be :/ 3:16 what's the meaning of this memeless meme?
Yup. That song is the reason I listened to the album. I think if a band that typically has an 80s sound to them covered this album, it might sound more memorable.
It feels like they wanted to make reverence again, but they didn’t have the same emotion to pour in so they slapped a bunch of shit together. It’s like reverence lite
Yeah, the new ones where winston sings clean or deep voice clean didnt work at all, it was a bit uncomfortable live, but i still Loved the whole concert. Mix between old and new songs is nice, and it still sounds so overwhelming live. The band has such a power in their instumentals and vocalist
@@codyfaas9881 The music was good, even their newer stuff but the few old song they played had so much more impact. In a live setting the new stuff is better than on album because of the atmosphere
I've listen to the Album while driving around and for me, they Sound Like a Mixture of Hardrock and Santiano ( a German Folk Band who Plays Pirate Songs)
Was ich auch noch dazu erwähnen muss, der live Auftritt vor zwei Tagen in Frankfurt war immernoch phänomenal, und sie spielen nen guten Mix aus Alt und neu, lohnt sich also immernoch live.
Aside from the theatrical cringe factor, why ruin nearly every song with that stupid, same sounding wah-wah pedal? For me that often drowns out the rhythm guitar. Not to mention the rage against the machine like lead guitar we get since IRE. If I want to listen to heavier RATM I listen to Stray From The Path.
I agree "If God can bleed" is a pretty crappy song, but I like the rest of the album. I knew you wouldn't lol You should react to old Parkway Albums to see if it's as good as people remember it to be.
Honestly, I really love this album, except for Glitch and If A God Can Bleed. I've sort of grown out of the Horizons phase of the band and was ready for them to do something different. I find that a lot of the people shitting on this album are just gatekeeping. It's no where near as bad as they make it out to be.
Honestly, I don't think it's a bad album. If it came from an up and coming small band, I'd say wow, great production, good instrumentals, weird af vocals, but they sort of work at some parts of the album. But coming from Parkway Drive, I just think they could've come up with something better, because I know they are so much better than this.
HOW IS THIS ALBUM NOT SATIRE 😭😭😭😭😭 also thank you Yung PewdieGravy for perfectly capturing my reaction bc this is genuine earblood from one of my favorite bands ever 😭💔💔
If you don't get the lyrics, watch Interviews with Winston, where he explains the Story behind this Album. And the storylines on spoitify. The lyrics are anything but meaningless.
Your reaction sums up my exact feelings on this album. I was hoping for some more variety after hearing how bland the two lead singles were but unfortunately, my worst fears were answered. Most of the songs feel the exact same with not much diversity in the song structures. I enjoy the title track decently enough despite how long it is. Like Napalm and Soul Bleach were also okay, but everything else was so mediocre and repetitive. I think we can all agree that If a God Can Bleed is one of, if not the worst song PWD have ever wrote. I was one of the few who genuinely loved Reverence and it still bothers me how so many people still trash on that album. It was one of my favorites of 2018 and Darker Still doesn't match that level at all. Reverence had so much heart and soul put into every lyric, and was the perfect mix of their new and old stuff. Every track on that album is amazing, even the songs that I didn't care for at first like Prey and I Hope You Rot grew on me big time. Reverence also had diversity in the track listing. Each song sounded different from one another without feeling too jarring and the flow of the album is honestly perfect. Also, the lyrics as I said earlier had depth and emotion to them. My biggest problem with Darker Still is how forced and cheesy the lyrics feel. Darker Still is probably the biggest disappointment for me this year. I'm hoping that Parkway can recover from this, though I'm sure in my heart that they will. Sorry for the long winded comment.
The thing is... it's not bad, made almost entirely for live performance, but it just feels empty for a LP you would listen to more than once. Take the top 3-5, include them in their Tour setlist and see it as the main purpose of this album.
if the album's goal to only have 3-5 songs be good enough for their setlist and the rest are throwaways, that makes it a pretty bad album in my opinion.
The worst part is this album is popping off apparently, 3 songs off this album are on the top 5 on spotify. Glitch is their most popular song at the moment. Idk how, this shits gross
dissapointing isn't even the word. Parkway drive was by Farrrrrr my favorite metal core band of all time and then IRE came out and I was like ooooh no. Then reverence, OOOOFFF, and now this? this is genuinely just awful. Is it music? yes but that's about it it genuinely feels so empty and bland like you said
Lol Ire was at least much more decent than Reverence and Darker Still. Ire Even sounding like Dad rock metal but it had alot of interesting hooks and way more heavier moments compared to this new album bullcrap
I've honestly had my mixed feelings about it, maybe I'm easy to please or too tolerant. But this is proly the 10th time I listened to it. Aside from 'If A God Can Bleed' and the interlude ['Stranger'] I genuinely liked every song (obviously not compared to previous work). I think the main pitfall for me is the lyrics and some the delivery somehow simultaneous the best and worst I've heard in a while from them (it pained me to sit through 'If a God Can Bleed). Ultimately I think the Q&A they did and your thought really reinforced my own. Winston is 40, he did not know how to sing and if I remember only started to learn vocals after Atlas Jia still made a joke that one day he'll sit & learn bass. And they put a lot of effort and time in this as well as continued to experiment further. Lastly believe fans have had this band and albums on a pedastal and had too many expectations. I listen to Parkway merely of the kind of people they were and are today not just there music. And I'm not hoping to change opinions nor am I saying this album is objectively spectacular (it has its flaws and in relations to previous ablums) But I found it obnoxious to see fans that try to knock down the music and others who liked; not to mention you don't have to like it. Everyone has differing tastes. I dunno I felt goofy tryna type this but I still loved the reaction and what you had to say, such great content.
I feel kind of similar. I liked the three singles but was a little disapointed by the rest of the album. Still I think the Album is okay and does not deserve this amount of hate.
Agreed with both of you… And do not vibe with this kind of review… After all RUclipsrs are trying to make some “money” with other people work… So if you don’t like it, which is totally legit, at least don’t publish this totally uncool videos just to produce hate… This is totally not my thing, and also the way you criticize… Music is made to unite people not spread hate and criticism…
@@marcosgomes9160 honestly everyone is entitled to their opinion. if he doesn't like the album that's completely fine and he can shit on these songs as much as he likes if thats how he feels. I generally feel the same as this thread everything on this record (aside from if a god can bleed) is at least good. out of IRE and rev i think i like this the least but im not gonna lie 4 tracks off this record were playlisted on first play through.
@@goatjames1675 Absolutely, I honestly rock with Like Napalm and Soul Bleach and Heart of Darkness. For a review it's cool as long as you preface like he did. Metalbirb also made that point in an interesting reaction.
This is an album where the parts are greater than the sum for me. Winston is clearly talented, each song feels like a journey, and the mix is very polished.
Randomly came across your video and I don't normally comment random videos but here it is; As an old school fan, I have to agree that they took a route I wouldn't necessarily vote for but even though they changed, they still find a way to make it brutal. This first listens from the 3 last albums made me cringe too tbh but after a few times listening, I found my self head banging... They wanted to sound unique and they made it happen. I would also add that people should stop comparing PWD to metalcore.
One of my biggest issues with this record is the constant similar sounding melodic guitar leads. It makes every song sound way too similar. I never thought I'd even think that as a guitar player who loves guitar centric music, but its just not good here. I grew up and LOVE Parkways, but I wonder if they've truly just truly just lost their passion or drive, or whatever made them great before. I suppose I can be okay with listening to everything before this record for the rest of my life lol
How one of my favorite teenage-year metalcore bands turns into something worse than 5FDP is beyond me 😂 Personally, I feel like this whole album is hot garbage. I mean, do what you want PWD but holy shit.
I want to love it, I really do. My beef with the album is that A LOT of the songs sound very similar melodically, as a guitarist that plays in drop B a lot I can feel that many of the songs are too reliant on that second fret power chord; if you stopped Luke and Jeff from using it the album would be about 4 tracks lighter than it is. The lead part from the greatest fear and ground zero may as well be the same, and the main riff from glitch fits into every other track given the tempo and again that reliance on the second fret. Parkway can do a less heavy style well, I think Ire and Reverence are proof of that, but so far Darker Still leaves a lot to be desired honesty. It doesn't feel like much love went into it. I'm seeing them in London next week though so perhaps these songs just need to be heard live for them to really pop, I'm hoping so at least. Either way it's all love to the boys forever, great guys and I hope the album gives them a bit of a mainstream boost even if it isn't my favourite piece of their work.
I fucking hate the constant theatrics of this band now. They got super famous for their older music, then they became legends in stadiums and decided to play stadium butt rock for theatrics
I love this album. I absolutely love all of their other albums and I enjoy seeing where their growth and creativity has brought them. My favorite is killing with a smile too so I've really enjoyed each release and can see where each previous one lends something into the new ones
Not going to lie, I really like Glitch. It's just a fun song for me, I like the overall vibe and the breakdown. The god of nevermore, or whatever, was a decent single... I go back to it once and a while... but holy shit... if a god can bleed is actually awful. I heard it was awful, but I didn't believe it could actually be THAT bad.
At first I agreed with this review, but after a few more listenings Darker Still definitely grew on me. Love the production, lyrics, melodies and energy. Yeah, that "drop the beat" sounds a little cringey but it's a line in a 43 minutes record, so it's not really a big issue. Also, "If a god can bleed" is their worst song, but it's not that bad, just a little boring in my opinion. Also also, I do recognize some Sabaton resemblances but I don't think they are so influent to say that PD sound like them. These songs may not be as complex and heavy as their first records but are fun and emotional, perfect bangers during concerts. Absolutely loving the direction this band took after Atlas (which remains my fav PD album). One of the bands I'd love to see live the most
Imma say for myself but I fell alot would agree, we not english speakers we really dont care about the lyrics like if it sounds good it sounds good idfc what he sings about, I only listen to lyrics in ballads and songs from like Three Days Grace and bands as such, but to expect smth like metalcore (their past) to "connect" with lyrics is stupid as hell, so yea most of us like the new album cuze it got few good breakdowns and some catchy shit
this album sounds cool, I stopped expecting heavy CHUGCHUG screaming since IRE. i don't mind Winston's vocals. PW is like power metal with some metalcore. If the power rangers wanted a heavier theme song, PW would be it. it's a 9/10 for me, awesome to jam to.
This is what metalcore sounds to people who don’t like metalcore
💯
Yes
Bruh. Absolutely not. It's sounds like grindcore to them
More like "this what music sounds like to people that dont like music"
Well, it’s not metalcore, sooooo…..
11:32 Bodgan: "Okay this is a bit different"
Winston: "I took a walk last night through the valley of death"
Bodgan : 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴
The "If a God Can Bleed" reaction might unironically be my most anticipated reaction of the year lol
Yeeep, jesus christ what the fuck was that song opener
I actually hope it gets the same attention as To The Hellfire or Demolisher. That would be so funny
I'm boutta watch every single album reaction to just see their reaction to If a God Can Bleed
Is that a bloodborne rune?
@@slipperygypsygames it's the brand of sacrifice from Berserk. The hunters mark from BB looks very similar though
The creative decision to make the album cover 50% Grey is so befitting
I don’t get it
Of all the albums I've heard this year, I've got to say this is one of them.
The amount of wah on this album gave Kirk Hammett a big ole boney boi
So boring
I get that they're not 20 year olds playing heavy shit in tiny venues any more, and I understand that they wanted to mature, but goddamn. These lyrics and delivery sound infinitely more juvenile than any of their early material.
This has always been my point. Bands evolving their sound is perfectly fine, as long as they dont sacrifice quality in their writing. But thats exactly what PWD has done. Its terrible nonsense now
@Madden 07 Soundtrack Fan Account [Norma Jean AOTY] KWAS was a great album thought, bu yeah some of the lyrics were very angst
I'm Gunna respectfully disagree, the quality is there. It just doesn't resonate with you like the old stuff does.
There's really no difference in the writing style it's just different subject matter.
@@jebbyy32 I mean that really depends on what you call quality. The lyrics I'll agree that aren't that far from their usual, although they are soo vaguely revolutionary, a "sMaSH ThE iNsTiTuTiOn To PiEcEs" kind of thing, a classic technique of lyricists with a lack of anything substantial to say. And their once strong riffs have devolved to really same-y ones and most of the songs are even on the same tempo. Even Reverence didn't have that amount of repetition, and all that while still being on the verge of mediocre radio dad metal. For the sake of creating arena anthems, they've become insanely formulaic, and to refuse that is just ignorant. If you like it, more power to you though.
@@ptr_does_music7042 that's just it man that's been my point all along if you like it you like it.
We all got our guilty pleasures yaknow
The drums on this record sound fucking amazing which is so unfortunate bc most of the time they’re not doing anything interesting due to the weak song writing
I think parkway are going to become that band that I always go see live, but never listen to on Spotify
winston did say that this album was recorded during the pandemic and they feared that this would be the end of music so they tried so many new things because they thought this would be their last album
Lol I suppose they thought they'd be going out with a bang but in all actuality ot was a total missfire.
@@abc4781if this would have been their last album than fuck that would have been disappointing as shit but to be honest since its just gonna get worse from here it wouldnt be terrible if this was their last,their just gonna pile more shit on their golden albums to the point no one will know who they really were
The difference between Sabaton and Parkway is that Sabaton does know how to make this kind of songs.
Also it was their style since forever
Just saw darker still live and it honestly went pretty hard. No clue how they pulled it off
Because they're Parkway Drive and that's what they do.
Parkway Drive can pull off any of their songs live, even the weaker ones.
Dude the KACHOW killed me dead. 😂
Lmaooooooooooooooo same
"If a God Can Bleed" is probably the worst song I've heard all year. The confusion on your face said it all haha
That piano sounds like the background music of Age of Empire 1..
agree but imperial heretic is, I think the 2nd worst song on the record. The lyrics are so cringy. As if teenager wrote it. But the lyrics in general are terrible
@@Revan-eb1wb I couldn't agree more
@@Revan-eb1wb you heard the lyrics for Prey?
@@mikewhitehead50 whats with the song?
"The Greatest Fear"'s intro is the Holy Diver riff with a bit staccato.
Nobody:
Winston: KERCHOO
1. Winston: He can't sing, his lyrics and delivery on this album were insanely cringe and empty and he seems to be forcing his Nick Cave LARP on the band with disastrous effects.
2. The drummer has checked out since Ire. He apparently refuses to play anything more complex than absolute beginner child level.
3. While Jeff is without doubt the biggest musical talent in the band, his riffs have become repetitive and stale. The overuse of the wah pedal leads is so grating. Some riffs are pathetically basic & dull as well.
4. The producer is the same one since Ire and it sounds like it. He arranges the most repetitive sounding songs over and over again. He uses this disney pirate melodic resolve in almost every song. Seems like a Yes-Man who doesn't tell the band when they're creating bland crap.
Worst album they've released would be an understatement. I guess just playing to festival crowds to make a living is what they're in it for now.
Nick Cave LARP is so damn accurate
easily my worst album of 2022; I get trying new things and evolving, but this isn't it.
Truly one of the albums of the year, of all time even.
Out of all the albums, this was one of them.
Lies. This is horrid. As an Aussie its embarrassing that this has happened to PWD
@@BigBev121 re-read the comment
@@BigBev121 easily one of the comments I've ever read
Fear fire and faith brother 🤣🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
Parkway and Architects are competing who can disappoint fans more.
I honestly liked When We Were Young and Deep fake.
I feel like calling it straight up garbage would be a bit over the top but at the same time I can understand why fans would be disappointed, especially since their technical riffs and lyrics with great depth are nowhere to be seen.
@@ludens1472 Middleton is wasting his talent, they’ll never make a technical song like Broken Cross or Naysayer ever again
At least for architects every song is enjoyable and a fast grower....and according to the Sam's comment
"This album will surprise all the fans of the band"
Beside,deep fake and tear gas are what you will expect from a great metalcore band....not game changing like holy hell or lost forever.but still these are bad ass songs
Architects are waaaay more better. Still!
@@barbod4777 deep fake and tear gas are the exact opposite i would expect from a great metalcore band. How did you come to that conclusion?
I miss Carrion
I miss pre MoC ERRA
Me listening to "If a God Can Bleed" for the first time: "Dying from the inside" "Tear me apart from the inside out"
Carrion is and was so overplayed.
"If a God can bleed, then I'll bleed you out"
Bars
Lil Win 69
And here I was thinking it was “if a god can bleed, they’ll bleed you out” which is somewhat profound
his whole anti religion lyrics are just embarrassing. We get it, he does not like religion but he is hamfisting it.
@@Revan-eb1wb Or you're religious and it offends you?
@@mattcubed9658 They dont offend me. They are simply bad lyrics. For example, Gates of ivory by Dayseeker is obviously an anti religious song but the lyrics are really good and interesting. But parkway drives always sound like some edgy black metal weirdo that tries to be cool when it comes to anti religious song. But maybe my opinion offends you. Doesn't it?
PWD use to be my favorite band. Their sound was very much at the heart of metalcore to me, and one of the best at that sound. The lyrics were deep, their tone was unique, their riffs were original and brutal, and just overall they felt authentic... Since Ire, their music seems lifeless to me, like they are just going through the motions. Maybe this is the music they have always wanted to do, idk. I have nothing against a band changing and trying new things, but parkway for some reason only sounds good and unique to me as a metalcore band, this is hard rock, and has no unique value to me, but that's just my opinion. The lyrics are cringy now, and seems pretentious to me actually, the guitar riffs are now all similar and in the higher key, which I'm not into with guitar riffs, very glam metal.
Agree 100%
clearly they're burnt out, no matter what BS they say about always watning to make this music, it's just really obvious that they've lost thier edge and have no new ideas for decent metalcore. this album is just lazy forced crap and it's been made just to try and keep making money
I thought Reverence was an excellent album, That’s the album that introduced me to PWD. I absolutely love ‘Prey’ - especially, the music video. I really dig the masculine elegance, in Winston’s movements, in that video (except, he shoulda worn different pants with that shirt, lol).
Also, super agree, with you, about the higher key guitar riffs - always reminds me of glam metal, and I can’t freakin’ stand it.
Maybe it's not the band and your soul seeking something else that suits your current mental state.
Definitely not hard rock, but I do agree even if I enjoy their new material.
You're not an asshole man. You speak your mind that's why I subbed.
Can't wait to bleach my ears with new TDWP tomorrow
Your honesty is awesome dude. Too many people pleasers on social media at the moment, this is like a breathe of fresh air. take care bro!
Thanks for the honest review. We love Parkway, we just don't love Darker Still
"This is a strength born in misery
A focus cut of this insanity
I fight my way from the gates of hell
I hold on"
To this.
Which Song are these lyrics from?
@@pierfrancescopoccianti5780 this ones called Karma
Hard to imagine the same dudes made killing with a smile
That album will never not be in my library. It’s like a completely different band, hard to listen to honestly. Haven’t liked anything since deep blue
I really love parkway drive. From don‘t close your eyes to reverence i loved pretty much every song and i liked the way they were evolving. I even love some of the songs from darker still, but this album feels very odd to me. Seems kind of heartless to me, there are almost no deeper meanings in the songs and these experimental songs like stranger or if a god can bleed don‘t fit at all. The song darker still fails as a ballad because as you said: they already did some great ballads i enjoy listening to.
fear , fire and faith
Soul Bleach is the only one that found its way to my playlist. I like that they're doing their own thing. But it's just not for me.
Edit: If god can bleed is actually so bad it gets worse and worse the more you listen to it.
EDIT PART 2: Never checked out the lyrics for Soul Bleach. I might have to remove it from my playlist lmao.
💀
they suck lol
Yeah, for a few listens I thought I might actually like “Soul Bleach” for the heaviness, but it still boils down to a lack of substance. Plus, the callouts are total ear diarrhea on this album
the lyrics on the whole record are super bad
To me Soul Bleach is a nice way to get to work without killing people. Doesn’t work any other way but early weekday morning - oh yes
Can confirm, new Parkway stuff absolutely slaps live.
It was very nice live, didnt expect his
Honestly the newer stuff did nothing for me live...
@@jackfromthejungle7538 Because you are a loser
@@mrsimpleslowmo Alright then
There's some parts that looks like interesting but to get there you have to pass through a boring album. I dont recomend
the fact that Winston (Or whoever took the band hostage and compelled them to commit this atrocity) wrote the line that MURDERED Star Wars into this album, AND did it like it was such a brutal phrase says approximately EVERYTHING anybody needed to know about the entire record.
And I'm not even a faithful parkway fan in the slightest.
Ok, I actually didn't hate the single all that but holy shit ... I lost it with If a God Can Bleed
They've gone mainstream, radio friendly and bubble-gum tasty. Their earlier stuff was fucking raw, when they had nothing to loose and didn't give a fuck. This album is so far departed from their earlier stuff and is completely soulless...
Seriously though I don't get their medieval vibe they'v been doing since IRE but I certainly enjoy the riffage at 1:29, that's some good soup
RIP to the glory days of Parkway Drive.
I've never sat down, listened to an album and felt like I've wasted an hour doing so before but that's what it was like to for this record.
I Hope they gain some new fans from this but it isn't for me, it's like you said in your reaction they are all getting older so it's going to be different now, as long as they like what they put out thats what matters.
I would still kill for a reaction to Vessels by Starset. Not a new album, but might be a good palate cleanser after whatever this album was supposed to be :/
3:16 what's the meaning of this memeless meme?
Vessels is my favorite Starset album, it is great.
8:50 for me was the most cringe moment, but damn it had some competition.
Album is not my thing. But the title track is one of my favorite songs in years of any genre
Yup. That song is the reason I listened to the album.
I think if a band that typically has an 80s sound to them covered this album, it might sound more memorable.
I dont know. It tries way too hard to sound like an 80s heavy metal song by metallica. Super cringe. But I am glad that you at least, enjoy the song
8:44 dude in chat better be sarcastic.
How doesn’t soul bleach hit so hard for you 💀 it’s been stuck in my head for days
They just invented Power Metalcore and i hate them for that
Parkway Drive is a live band. After a concert now I can't not to listen to these songs
It feels like they wanted to make reverence again, but they didn’t have the same emotion to pour in so they slapped a bunch of shit together. It’s like reverence lite
they were sick live. saw them 3 days ago, great show and great sound but yea that album in general :/
Yeah, the new ones where winston sings clean or deep voice clean didnt work at all, it was a bit uncomfortable live, but i still Loved the whole concert. Mix between old and new songs is nice, and it still sounds so overwhelming live. The band has such a power in their instumentals and vocalist
Was the music good? Or the pyrotechnics?
@@codyfaas9881 The music was good, even their newer stuff but the few old song they played had so much more impact. In a live setting the new stuff is better than on album because of the atmosphere
"If A God Can Bleed" sounds like Parkways take on a Zeal & Ardor song.
Well, this is certainly an album.
F E A R , F I R E A N D F A I T H
I've listen to the Album while driving around and for me, they Sound Like a Mixture of Hardrock and Santiano ( a German Folk Band who Plays Pirate Songs)
Ja ist auch sicher nicht mein fave Album aber ich denke die Leute werden wärmer damit werden über die Jahre
Was ich auch noch dazu erwähnen muss, der live Auftritt vor zwei Tagen in Frankfurt war immernoch phänomenal, und sie spielen nen guten Mix aus Alt und neu, lohnt sich also immernoch live.
Aside from the theatrical cringe factor, why ruin nearly every song with that stupid, same sounding wah-wah pedal? For me that often drowns out the rhythm guitar. Not to mention the rage against the machine like lead guitar we get since IRE. If I want to listen to heavier RATM I listen to Stray From The Path.
I agree "If God can bleed" is a pretty crappy song, but I like the rest of the album. I knew you wouldn't lol
You should react to old Parkway Albums to see if it's as good as people remember it to be.
It's definitely better than this shit
They all are 😂 I still listen to them
Honestly, I really love this album, except for Glitch and If A God Can Bleed. I've sort of grown out of the Horizons phase of the band and was ready for them to do something different. I find that a lot of the people shitting on this album are just gatekeeping. It's no where near as bad as they make it out to be.
@@sarcasm4371 you mean your own standards. You don't speak for everyone.
Damn I didn’t know parkway drive wrote a Load/Reload/St. Anger tribute album
DROP DA BEAT!
Yeah, not digging this rollercoaster. It's as if they are about to deliver - but then it just goes 180 into nothingness.
And that kids is the difference between a band like Architects and Parkway Drive.
The quality of songwriting
Ah yes, architects who now write lyrics like "anything is possible, we could be unstoppable"... 💤
@@CraigF1995 they could be writing about paint dry and still be levels above the compositional level of Parkway.
Song writing post Holy Hell is on par with this.
The difference between a band like PWD and TDWP, you mean.
@@Butterfly-lr6ed last record is actually really great after a few listens, but tear gas and the new stuff is just as bland as new pwd sadly
Honestly, I don't think it's a bad album. If it came from an up and coming small band, I'd say wow, great production, good instrumentals, weird af vocals, but they sort of work at some parts of the album. But coming from Parkway Drive, I just think they could've come up with something better, because I know they are so much better than this.
The drumming especially is very uninspired imo
HOW IS THIS ALBUM NOT SATIRE 😭😭😭😭😭 also thank you Yung PewdieGravy for perfectly capturing my reaction bc this is genuine earblood from one of my favorite bands ever 😭💔💔
Yung PewdieGravy 😭
If you don't get the lyrics, watch Interviews with Winston, where he explains the Story behind this Album. And the storylines on spoitify. The lyrics are anything but meaningless.
Your reaction sums up my exact feelings on this album. I was hoping for some more variety after hearing how bland the two lead singles were but unfortunately, my worst fears were answered. Most of the songs feel the exact same with not much diversity in the song structures. I enjoy the title track decently enough despite how long it is. Like Napalm and Soul Bleach were also okay, but everything else was so mediocre and repetitive. I think we can all agree that If a God Can Bleed is one of, if not the worst song PWD have ever wrote.
I was one of the few who genuinely loved Reverence and it still bothers me how so many people still trash on that album. It was one of my favorites of 2018 and Darker Still doesn't match that level at all. Reverence had so much heart and soul put into every lyric, and was the perfect mix of their new and old stuff. Every track on that album is amazing, even the songs that I didn't care for at first like Prey and I Hope You Rot grew on me big time. Reverence also had diversity in the track listing. Each song sounded different from one another without feeling too jarring and the flow of the album is honestly perfect. Also, the lyrics as I said earlier had depth and emotion to them. My biggest problem with Darker Still is how forced and cheesy the lyrics feel.
Darker Still is probably the biggest disappointment for me this year. I'm hoping that Parkway can recover from this, though I'm sure in my heart that they will. Sorry for the long winded comment.
The thing is... it's not bad, made almost entirely for live performance, but it just feels empty for a LP you would listen to more than once.
Take the top 3-5, include them in their Tour setlist and see it as the main purpose of this album.
if the album's goal to only have 3-5 songs be good enough for their setlist and the rest are throwaways, that makes it a pretty bad album in my opinion.
I hate that logic "it will be good live"... If it sounds ass to listen to, why would I want to go and see them live?
Who cares how good a song is live when you listen to it through a medium such as Spotify 99.9% of the time?
Already on like 50 play-throughs of this album
@@BIGtym1O1 are you a masochist?
The worst part is this album is popping off apparently, 3 songs off this album are on the top 5 on spotify. Glitch is their most popular song at the moment. Idk how, this shits gross
dissapointing isn't even the word. Parkway drive was by Farrrrrr my favorite metal core band of all time and then IRE came out and I was like ooooh no. Then reverence, OOOOFFF, and now this? this is genuinely just awful. Is it music? yes but that's about it it genuinely feels so empty and bland like you said
Lol Ire was at least much more decent than Reverence and Darker Still. Ire Even sounding like Dad rock metal but it had alot of interesting hooks and way more heavier moments compared to this new album bullcrap
My exact feelings. They used to be the absolute best in the genre. How the mighty have fallen
Nothing funnier than elitist tears.
This is a good album.
I actually do enjoy it, not a top 10 tho
Its not as bad as everyone claims, but there are some clear duds on it.
@@nihilist1280 For sure
@@nihilist1280 It is pretty bad and exactly as bad as people say but glad that you like it
Must’ve not listened to it yet.
Rest in peace parkway drive
I've honestly had my mixed feelings about it, maybe I'm easy to please or too tolerant. But this is proly the 10th time I listened to it. Aside from 'If A God Can Bleed' and the interlude ['Stranger'] I genuinely liked every song (obviously not compared to previous work). I think the main pitfall for me is the lyrics and some the delivery somehow simultaneous the best and worst I've heard in a while from them (it pained me to sit through 'If a God Can Bleed).
Ultimately I think the Q&A they did and your thought really reinforced my own. Winston is 40, he did not know how to sing and if I remember only started to learn vocals after Atlas Jia still made a joke that one day he'll sit & learn bass. And they put a lot of effort and time in this as well as continued to experiment further. Lastly believe fans have had this band and albums on a pedastal and had too many expectations. I listen to Parkway merely of the kind of people they were and are today not just there music.
And I'm not hoping to change opinions nor am I saying this album is objectively spectacular (it has its flaws and in relations to previous ablums) But I found it obnoxious to see fans that try to knock down the music and others who liked; not to mention you don't have to like it. Everyone has differing tastes. I dunno I felt goofy tryna type this but I still loved the reaction and what you had to say, such great content.
I feel kind of similar. I liked the three singles but was a little disapointed by the rest of the album. Still I think the Album is okay and does not deserve this amount of hate.
Agreed with both of you… And do not vibe with this kind of review… After all RUclipsrs are trying to make some “money” with other people work… So if you don’t like it, which is totally legit, at least don’t publish this totally uncool videos just to produce hate… This is totally not my thing, and also the way you criticize… Music is made to unite people not spread hate and criticism…
@@marcosgomes9160 honestly everyone is entitled to their opinion. if he doesn't like the album that's completely fine and he can shit on these songs as much as he likes if thats how he feels. I generally feel the same as this thread everything on this record (aside from if a god can bleed) is at least good. out of IRE and rev i think i like this the least but im not gonna lie 4 tracks off this record were playlisted on first play through.
@@goatjames1675 Absolutely, I honestly rock with Like Napalm and Soul Bleach and Heart of Darkness. For a review it's cool as long as you preface like he did. Metalbirb also made that point in an interesting reaction.
100%
Some of the instrumentals are pretty solid. And usually I let mediorce lyrics go if the rest is great. But 95% of this was ass
I’ve been a parkway fan since I was 6 ish and not 16 and I listened to about 4 songs all the way through
This is an album where the parts are greater than the sum for me. Winston is clearly talented, each song feels like a journey, and the mix is very polished.
Randomly came across your video and I don't normally comment random videos but here it is;
As an old school fan, I have to agree that they took a route I wouldn't necessarily vote for but even though they changed, they still find a way to make it brutal. This first listens from the 3 last albums made me cringe too tbh but after a few times listening, I found my self head banging... They wanted to sound unique and they made it happen. I would also add that people should stop comparing PWD to metalcore.
Are they trolling us?
One of my biggest issues with this record is the constant similar sounding melodic guitar leads. It makes every song sound way too similar. I never thought I'd even think that as a guitar player who loves guitar centric music, but its just not good here.
I grew up and LOVE Parkways, but I wonder if they've truly just truly just lost their passion or drive, or whatever made them great before. I suppose I can be okay with listening to everything before this record for the rest of my life lol
How one of my favorite teenage-year metalcore bands turns into something worse than 5FDP is beyond me 😂 Personally, I feel like this whole album is hot garbage. I mean, do what you want PWD but holy shit.
seeing lightning mcqueen almost killed me LOL🤣🤣🤣
I genuinely want to talk to a fan of this album. We need to study these people
I love the album, fight me.
@@StevenZissimos we got a badass over here. Watch out, folks!
I want to love it, I really do. My beef with the album is that A LOT of the songs sound very similar melodically, as a guitarist that plays in drop B a lot I can feel that many of the songs are too reliant on that second fret power chord; if you stopped Luke and Jeff from using it the album would be about 4 tracks lighter than it is. The lead part from the greatest fear and ground zero may as well be the same, and the main riff from glitch fits into every other track given the tempo and again that reliance on the second fret. Parkway can do a less heavy style well, I think Ire and Reverence are proof of that, but so far Darker Still leaves a lot to be desired honesty. It doesn't feel like much love went into it. I'm seeing them in London next week though so perhaps these songs just need to be heard live for them to really pop, I'm hoping so at least. Either way it's all love to the boys forever, great guys and I hope the album gives them a bit of a mainstream boost even if it isn't my favourite piece of their work.
I fucking hate the constant theatrics of this band now. They got super famous for their older music, then they became legends in stadiums and decided to play stadium butt rock for theatrics
You guys are all trippin this album is fire wtf
Disagree
Came to give a like and view count. Not staying for the video though because this album suckeddd. Can’t wait for new TDWP coming up soon though.
Idk i really like darker still, hits pretty fucking hard in my opinion
Am I the only one that likes this album????? Minus a God can bleed
I love this album. I absolutely love all of their other albums and I enjoy seeing where their growth and creativity has brought them. My favorite is killing with a smile too so I've really enjoyed each release and can see where each previous one lends something into the new ones
Not going to lie, I really like Glitch. It's just a fun song for me, I like the overall vibe and the breakdown. The god of nevermore, or whatever, was a decent single... I go back to it once and a while... but holy shit... if a god can bleed is actually awful. I heard it was awful, but I didn't believe it could actually be THAT bad.
This album just makes me sad
I need to listen to old parkway again, some songs from this album are actually good though tbh
At first I agreed with this review, but after a few more listenings Darker Still definitely grew on me. Love the production, lyrics, melodies and energy. Yeah, that "drop the beat" sounds a little cringey but it's a line in a 43 minutes record, so it's not really a big issue. Also, "If a god can bleed" is their worst song, but it's not that bad, just a little boring in my opinion. Also also, I do recognize some Sabaton resemblances but I don't think they are so influent to say that PD sound like them.
These songs may not be as complex and heavy as their first records but are fun and emotional, perfect bangers during concerts. Absolutely loving the direction this band took after Atlas (which remains my fav PD album). One of the bands I'd love to see live the most
maybe It's just me getting old but let's be honest....
nothing hits like Killing With a smile and Horizons did 🤷♂
I'm confused as to what is meant by maturing their sound because this almost sounds like the wiggles.
Similar to how I feel about I Prevails lyrics and delivery, it's such a good band but damn I cringe sometimes.
Agree
Even BMTH evolved better!!!! jajajaja This album is meant for people likes FFDP 😒
The cringe face Bodgan makes is absolutely hilarious, and has such high re-watchability.
I don't mind the album.
Sure their older stuff is still far superiour.
But this is not a bad album
yeah.. I forgot If A God Can Bleed... THIS is bad
Imma say for myself but I fell alot would agree, we not english speakers we really dont care about the lyrics like if it sounds good it sounds good idfc what he sings about, I only listen to lyrics in ballads and songs from like Three Days Grace and bands as such, but to expect smth like metalcore (their past) to "connect" with lyrics is stupid as hell, so yea most of us like the new album cuze it got few good breakdowns and some catchy shit
cant wait for Architects...
I really like it
Now compare this to new BFMV album+deluxe. Those guys are 40 yrs old too buy making good music. But get hate
this album sounds cool, I stopped expecting heavy CHUGCHUG screaming since IRE. i don't mind Winston's vocals. PW is like power metal with some metalcore. If the power rangers wanted a heavier theme song, PW would be it.
it's a 9/10 for me, awesome to jam to.
Atlas was the last Parkway album idk what the fuck happened to them. They went butt rock and cringe as fuck it’s sad 😞