Parkway Drive (w/ August Burns Red, TDWP, Polaris) @ The Palladium (Worcester, MA) on September 12, 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

The Palladium in Worcester, MA was packed to gills as Parkway Drive, alongside August Burns Red, The Devil Wears Prada and Polaris, brought the heavy. The lineup was ridiculous and a dream come true for the many sweaty and energized fans that filled in the venue. Parkway Drive, hailing from Australia, has never had a hard time selling out venues in the States but, mixed with some of the most accomplished metal bands in the USA as well, the Palladium’s seating capacity didn’t stand a chance.

Opening up the night were fellow Aussies Polaris. Starting things off isn’t always easy and, with a who’s who of heavy hitters behind you, it can be hard not to fade out of peoples’ memory as the night goes on. However, Polaris grabbed the bull by horns, dug their feet in and made sure to leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Next up on the bill was metalcore staple The Devil Wears Prada. Fronted by the always energetic and forever shirtless Mike Hranica, they ripped through their set like a hot knife through butter. It was fast, it was heavy, and it had every single person in attendance on their feet or knocking someone off their own. This band is beyond dialed-in when it comes to their live performance. They’re an extremely well-oiled metal vessel that you can always rely on to get the job done.

Tough to ignore the “Vice Grip” this video has on thousands of fans.

With the crowd already in chaos, and energized to the max, it was time for August Burns Red to handle business and it was business as usual. Unleashing a brutal assault of hard-hitting songs including “Invisible Enemy” and “Majoring in the Minors”, the Pennsylvania natives delivered a heart pounding set. Backed by a stellar lighting display which really added to the ambience of the set, these guys put on an amazing performance. Frontman Jake Luhrs is a force on stage and, the way he interacts with the rest of the band throughout the set as well as the audience, is a treat to see.

Finally, it was time for Parkway Drive to hit the stage. As the stage began to fill with fog an overwhelming feeling of excitement began to pulsate through the crowd. The entrance music playing in the background, muffled by the audience screaming “Parkway Drive, Parkway Drive” the band made their entrance onto the stage. Kicking things off with “Wishing Wells’’ it was made very clear and right off the jump that they were not messing around. Singer Winston McCall called for bodies to come over the barricade and like a human tidal wave, they did. The crowd had laser focus on the stage all night as the band played heavy riff after heavy riff. Closing the night with a two song encore which included “Crushed’’ and “Bottom Feeder’’ Parkway Drive never let go of the “Vice Grip” they had on the audience.