Parkway Drive's debut for Epitaph, "Killing With A Smile" came as a complete surprise. Epitaph is known for having a largely punk oriented roster, and catering mostly to a punk rock scene. So this was a very welcome change of pace.

Right from the reedy opening chords of the album's opening track "Gimme A D", it's quite obvious that this is not going to be a typical Epitaph release. Once the music really kicks in, the first thing that comes to mind is the "New Wave Of American Heavy Metal," except these guys are definitely not American. With a sound that is equal parts Unearth and Bleeding Through, with hints of As I Lay Dying,  Parkway Drive are sure to shake things up a bit in a scene that is ready to burst at the seams.

Vocalist Winston McCall does at times sound a bit too much like Trevor Phipps, during spoken interludes. But this is just a small flaw in the grand scheme of things, as he more than makes up for it with his incorporation of Death and Black metal vocal stylings. Guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling are sure to make an impact amongst their peers, as their shredding is on par with the best in the metalcore scene. Iron Maiden melodies are present, alongside some seriously wicked breakdowns, and some truly amazing melodies.

What also helps to set this apart from the average metalcore album is the fact that Parkway Drive incorporates a good amount of Thrash into their overall sound. And while this is also becoming more common, there are very few bands that can actually do it well. In addition to that, the band gives a nod to old school NYHC, with some gang choruses thrown into the mix as well. Another thing to consider is that while there are numerous spoken word passages throughout this album, there are no cleanly sung vocals anywhere on this album. With just about every band out there adding melodic choruses to their sound, it's always good to see a band that can add melody, without hopping on the clean chorus band wagon.

Parkway Drive are bound to get some well deserved attention with this album. And while some may write this off as just another metalcore band, Parkway Drive shouldn't be so easily dismissed. There is alot more going on here than just basic metalcore. It's simply a matter of giving this album a chance, and listening to everything they have going on. With elements of swedish death metal, hardcore, metalcore, black metal vocal stylings, and semi-technical guitar work, this band should appeal to more than just the hardcore/metalcore crowd. Much like Unearth and All That Remains, Parkway Drive  easily bridges the gap between thrashy semi-technical metal and breakdown heavy hardcore/metalcore.

If Unearth, Bleeding Through, and even As I Lay Dying currently fall into your favorites category, then take a listen to Parkway Drive. This is going to be your new favorite band.