Photo of Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall by Erica Vining
The St. Louis music scene has been dominating as of late, and this show was no exception to this. The Pageant opened to a sold-out crowd with lines wrapping the building well before doors. Taking the stage first was Connecticut band CURRENTS, igniting the crowd with a mix of guttural roars and crisp vocals from animated and energetic vocalist Brian Wille. The metalcore band started their set with the recognizable track “Monsters” off of their 2020 album The Way It Ends which immediately had the crowd pushing the rail. The Pageant’s main floor opened into a notable mosh pit encircled by fans of the genre headbanging with horns in the air. Their energy only gained momentum as they shredded and screamed to their new single “The Death We Seek,” both a single released in November of 2022 and the title of their new album to be available May of this year. CURRENTS is a top band to watch this year as they are rapidly gaining popularity, and Tuesday’s set showed why.
Memphis May Fire was greeted with the roars of a warmed-up crowd as the band took up their instruments one by one. Frontman Matty Mullins wore a smile and kept an electric atmosphere throughout their set, often raising his microphone for fans to finish a chorus line with a grin of awe on his face. Despite their success, the band appeared thankful and shocked by the St. Louis crowd that came out to support them. Between songs Mullins jested about a fall from the stage at their last St. Louis show in 2022, where the frontman suffered two broken ribs. Resilient, the lead singer carried on and finished the tour despite his injuries. The Denton, TX-born band has gathered support and attention in the heavy metal community in recent years with the release of their latest album Remade In Misery, released in 2020. Since the album’s release the band has released several hit singles such as “Bleed Me Dry,” “Somebody,” and “Make Believe.”
The night grew Darker Still as the headliner Parkway Drive took the stage. Over two decades and seven albums, this Australian metalcore band has made waves throughout the genre with heavy guitar riffs and deep growling vocals. The five-piece band was greeted with fervent fans anxious to scream along with lead vocalist Winston McCall. Parkway Drive’s latest album Darker Still was released in September of 2022, and was praised by critics as evidence they belong amongst the icons of the industry. After the cancellation of last year’s US tour and the impending breakup of the band, Parkway Drive returned heavier than ever, giving fans the first opportunity to hear live songs from the album including current radio bangers “Imperial Heretic” and “Glitch,” as well as older songs such as “The Void” and “Bottom Feeder.” | Colin Williams
