It might shock you now, but there was a time when hardly anyone knew Parkway Drive outside of their native Australia. Long before the pyrotechnics and headlining slots at the world’s biggest metal and rock festivals, Parkway Drive’s Killing With A Smile, the band’s debut album, released on September 12th, 2005. Part of what many PWD fans considered one of their “holy trinity” of albums from the band (Atlas deserves inclusion alongside Deep Blue and Horizons, so it’s more like four of them), the album was littered with breakdowns – but also genuine excitement. Recorded with and produced by Killswitch Engage’s Adam Dutkiewicz, the record became one of Adam’s most notable productions as well, and that’s a tall order considering he’s produced albums from bands like Every Time I Die, From Autumn To Ashes, and many more.
Filled with more movie quotes than an Eighteen Visions album (okay, only a few, but hey!), the album’s success came off the backs of signature songs like “Romance Is Dead” and “Mutiny” (cue your favorite pirate joke here). With enough mosh-worthy moments and Winston McCall’s commanding vocal presence, it’s no surprise it ended up launching their career.
