The show was sold out and packed to the gills with Parkway Drive fans oozing with enthusiasm. There was already a long queue snaking around the legendary Brixton Academy when I arrived, just before doors opened at around 7pm.

Parkway Drive is a cocktail of of face melting metal riffs, ingeniously roaring lyrics, and catchy choruses. The production was admirably slick and topped off beautifully with blasts of fire and actual fireworks (there were fire engines and an ambulance on standby outside the venue, just in case)! You could tell a hell of a lot of heart, imagination, and careful planning had gone into this masterpiece of a show which, predictably, just flew by at warp speed.

Devilishly handsome, and with a voice so powerful it could slay a walrus, Winston McCall is the perfect lead singer. In between songs he expressed gratitude for his fans and thanked them for supporting the band. Simple words, but sincere, and delivered straight from the heart.

It was one of the heaviest and most exhilarating concerts I’ve ever been to, and they managed to cram so many fantastic tracks into the set. After listening to Vice Grip on repeat and watching the video dozens of times on YouTube, it was crazy amazing to witness it played live! Bottom Feeder was saved until very last to go with the encore, and I loved every furious second of it. You can totally understand why it’s so easy for Parkway Drive to whip an audience into such a frenzy.

All in all, an unforgettable and smashing night – as I predicted it would be!

Setlist:

• Wild Eyes
• Carrion
• Dedicated
• Vice Grip
• Karma
• Sleepwalker
• Dark Days
• Destroyer
• Boneyards
• Writings
• Idols
• Bulls On Parade
• Swing

Encore:

• Crushed
• Bottom Feeder