Australian metal titans Parkway Drive will mark two decades of chaos, fire and stadium-sized riffs with a very different kind of show. On 17 September 2025, the band will play a one-off warm-up gig at Berlin’s legendary Metropol.
For the Byron Bay-born band, it’s the calm before the storm. The Metropol show is essentially a prelude to their 20 Year Anniversary European Tour, a milestone Winston McCall and his bandmates are approaching with maximum firepower.
“This is going to be absolutely insane,” McCall said in a statement. “We’ve always been proud of delivering the best possible show, but the 20th anniversary tour will take everything to the next level. We’re bringing more fire, more energy, and a production bigger than anything we’ve ever done.”
That’s no small claim from a group who have made their name on larger-than-life spectacles. Parkway Drive shows are infamous for their flame-throwing stage setups, spinning drum risers and punishing delivery of songs like Vice Grip, Bottom Feeder and Wild Eyes.
Parkway Drive formed in Byron Bay, New South Wales, in 2003, originally part of the Australian hardcore and metal underground. Their debut album Killing With A Smile (2005) made waves outside of Australia, but it was the relentless touring schedule and word-of-mouth buzz around their live shows that quickly turned them into a serious international force.
Eight albums later, including the chart-topping Ire (2015) and the orchestral-metal crossover Viva The Underdogs project, Parkway Drive now sit comfortably among the world’s elite metal acts. They’ve headlined Europe’s massive Wacken Open Air festival, topped bills at Download Festival and dominated arenas across North America.
The band’s 20-year career has also been chronicled in three documentaries (Home Is For The Heartless, Vice Grip and Viva The Underdogs), showcasing not just the music but the grit, self-belief and DIY determination that pushed a bunch of surfers from a sleepy Australian town into the top tier of heavy music.
The choice of Berlin’s Metropol, an intimate venue by Parkway Drive’s current standards, brings things full circle. Once upon a time, the band were cramming sweaty clubs across Europe. In 2025, they’re stepping back into a small space one more time.
Few bands from Australia’s heavy scene have broken as globally as Parkway Drive. Twenty years on, they’re not only still standing – they’re stronger than ever. The anniversary tour promises to be their most ambitious production yet, with McCall hinting at massive stage design, pyrotechnics and a setlist spanning their entire catalogue.
The Berlin warm-up is the beginning of a celebration that will dominate the European metal calendar. For Parkway Drive, it’s another chance to prove why they’ve gone from Byron Bay outsiders to festival kings. For fans, it’s a reminder that the flame still burns brightest when Parkway Drive are on stage.
The “Closer Than Ever” concert streams live on 17 September via MagentaMusik.de and MagentaTV.
Parkway Drive Discography
Don’t Close Your Eyes (EP, 2004)
Killing With A Smile (2005)
Horizons (2007)
Deep Blue (2010)
Atlas (2012)
Ire (2015)
Reverence (2018)
Darker Still (2022)
(Live release: Viva The Underdogs – 2020)
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