Röck Döts

Parkway Drive and Heaven Shall (Co-headlining tour) Burn with Northlane and Carnifex

Location: Palladium, Cologne
Date: 12/19/2014

I guess there isn't much to say about PARKWAY DRIVE and HEAVEN SHALL BURN. Both band's play so often, that any introduction can be copied & pasted from every other review about the two bands that I wrote before this.

The Palladium is sold out, so about 4000 fans are in the venue and most of them are there when deathcore-act CARNIFEX enters the stage. I have seen them perform before about six or seven years ago. What I saw was insane. The band's performance was medium just like their music, but the kids went nuts during the breakdowns but were totally lost during the fast parts. They just didn't know what to do, which was hilarious. Today's show is toiled by a bad sound. I can only guess by the way the band headbangs if it's a fast song/part or not. What I hear sound more metal than the stuff they did before. But like I said, the sound is bad and I can't notice anything, because I am not very familiar with the group's music.
Even though I know the songs of NORTHLANE it is hard to point out which song is played, because the sound is bad as well. This is the first tour with the new vocalist Marcus Bridge. The Aussies' set is only 25 minutes long, but they keep focused on the heavy tracks of their two records "Discovery" and "Singularity". But due to the bad sound it is hard to point out, which song is being played. During 'Masquerade', a song which you might recognise even despite a bad sound, Bridge starts to sing clearly, what differs a lot from his predecessor's vocal style. He does not hit all the notes, but 'Rot', the first single that included him proves that he can sing. I think he might be nervous on this tour, but he has to improve as a frontman, because Adrian was much more present and knew how to handle a crowd. Then it is time for the split-set of the two headlining bands PARKWAY DRIVE and HEAVEN SHALL BURN. Both bands play for half an hour and then the other band hits the stage for 30 minutes as well. HEAVEN SHALL BURN are first tonight. I must admit that I am not into the stuff they have put out since 2006's "Deaf To Our Prayers", so it is nice that the German melodic death metal outfit kick in with 'Voice of the Voiceless' from their 2004 classic record "Antigone".
Guitarist Maik Weichert is one of the narrow-minded musicians in modern metal by the way he looks in his black button-up shirt. Singer Marcus Bischoff is still one of the few frontmen that I still don't like that much. I don't know why so many people tend to call him sympathetic. Nevertheless the show is okay. I have seen better shows by them, but it is good that there will be a break and not 60 minutes of HEAVEN SHALL BURN in a row. What really angers me is that the sound is still bad. I need some time to recognise the songs. But their cover of EDGE OF SANITY's 'Black Tears' is great (which is more because of the song itself and not the band that is playing it right now).
PARKWAY DRIVE's first set is much better, even though they play the same setlist for almost three years now. There are no surprises, hardly any old songs and I guess the songs are still in the same order as on previous tours. They really need to improve in terms of picking a setlist. Most tracks are taken from the last two records "Deep Blue" and "Atlas". It seems like the crowd is happy just about the fact that PARKWAY DRIVE is playing. The mosh pit is much bigger than the one at the HEAVEN SHALL BURN set. The band itself seems to have fun themselves. Especially singer Winston McNeil is one hell of a frontman. His voice is strong, his performance is energetic and he seems to be a nice dude. Then it it time for HEAVEN SHALL BURN. The band's second set draws from older songs, from songs I do know and songs that I liked when I was 16 like the massive 'Counterweight' or 'Behind A Wall of Silence' from the bands second record "Whatever It May Take". The break of the two sets is good, because I wouldn't stand 60 minutes of this band. So I really begin to enjoy at least the band's second set. But I am not very sad, when 'Endzeit' is the last track for the German band tonight. The second set of PARKWAY DRIVE is better as well. Some old tunes such as 'Romance Is Dead' and 'Carrion' are some of the strongest songs this band can offer. But two hours of metalcore songs is too much. The show's end is kind of refreshing. It was nice to actually see HEAVEN SHALL BURN once again after long time, though that will be enough for a long time as well. PARKWAY DRIVE definitely need to change their setlist or their shows might become boring.