Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Earlier this year, it was disclosed that actor Chris Hemsworth (‘Thor’ and more) undertook a self-imposed challenge to acquire sufficient drumming skills to perform on stage with pop superstar Ed Sheeran, as per theprp. Although Hemsworth is primarily recognized for his portrayal of the God of Thunder in the Marvel cinematic universe, his proficiency in playing the drums was reportedly limited.
He accepted this challenge as part of the production of his National Geographic documentary series, ‘Limitless: Live Better Now,’ which was broadcast on Disney+ during the summer. In preparation for a live performance with Sheeran in front of approximately 70,000 spectators in Bucharest, Romania, Hemsworth enlisted the assistance of Parkway Drive‘s drummer, Ben Gordon.
Gordon indicated last August that he and Hemsworth had established a friendship roughly eight years prior. This morning, Parkway Drive shared a video from their rehearsal sessions featuring Hemsworth playing the drums.
Formed in Byron Bay in 2003, Parkway Drive have released seven full-length studio albums, all on Epitaph: “Killing with a Smile” (2005), “Horizons” (2007), “Deep Blue” (2010), “Atlas” (2012), “IRE” (2015), “Reverence” (2018) & “Darker Still” (2022). “Darker Still” entered the official German & Swiss album charts at #5, Austrian at#7, Belgian at #11, United Kingdom at #2 (Rock & Metal Chart) & US at#4 (Current Hard Rock Music Album Chart). In their home country Australia, the band had their 3rd consecutive #1 album on the ARIA chart and won 2023 ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album for Darker Still.
“Darker Still”, frontman Winston McCall says, is the vision he and his bandmates – guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O’Connor and drummer Ben Gordon – have held in their mind’s eye since a misfit group of friends first convened in their parents’ basements and backyards in 2003. 2023 marked the 20 year anniversary of Parkway Drive, and the journey to reach this moment has seen Parkway evolve from metal underdogs to festival-headlining behemoth, 7 critically and commercially acclaimed studio albums (six of which achieving Gold status in their home nation), three documentaries, one live album, and many, many thousands of shows.
To understand that growth is to understand “Darker Still”, both musically and thematically. Those who thought they had Parkway Drive figured out — the unrivalled energy, the high-octane breakdowns, McCall’s trademark bark — need reconsider everything they know about Australia’s masters of heavy. “Darker Still” stands as the culmination of a transformative time that has seen Parkway reach new heights of creativity and success by eschewing the restrictive, safe conventions of genre and abandoning their own self-imposed rules in favor of a wide-eyed appreciation of bold new horizons. This is the Parkway Drive the band have been striving to be for two decades. Emerging from the darkness of the past few years, this is the true face of Parkway — redefined and resolute, focused in mind and defiant in spirit.
