Image: Parkway Drive [Official Press Photo]
“Every metalcore band eventually comes up with the idea of doing something with an orchestra, right?” laughs Parkway Drive frontman Winston McCall during our Zoom interview, which takes place in the evening while he’s at home in Australia. In December, the metalcore outfit will release their live film HOME and the accompanying live album. The project documents the band’s performance at the legendary Sydney Opera House in June 2025, where they performed alongside a symphony orchestra in front of just 2,000 seated guests. Yes, seated.
Parkway Drive Reimagined: Metalcore Meets a Symphony Orchestra
Anyone who’s been to a Parkway Drive show knows that sweaty mosh pits, plenty of fire and pyro, and the band’s high-octane energy are usually a big part of the experience. At the Sydney Opera House, fans from all over the world sat in formal attire as the band performed surrounded by floral arrangements and an orchestra.
“This time, we wanted to let the music speak for itself,” Winston tells us. “Reworking the songs with an orchestra did something special to the tracks. We wanted to create a unique connection between the music and our fans.” And it worked. Sure, plenty of people still couldn’t stay in their seats, but the atmosphere was completely different, the singer explains. “It was super intimate. There was no barrier. I could ask the people in the front row how they were doing,” he laughs.
The band funded the entire project themselves. “We’d been thinking about it for years, but once things started coming together, we really didn’t have much time. We put the whole thing together in just six months,” Winston explains. The idea of turning it into a film only came later. “The film production company Hype Republic said, ‘We have an idea for a film. Do you want to do it?’ And we were just like, ‘Okay, sure!’”
A Passion Project
The live set featured 20 songs, all of which appear on the album, ranging from some of the band’s earliest material to more recent tracks. “No matter which song we played, I loved it,” says Winston. The show flew by in what felt like no time at all, and he can barely remember the details now. However, he and his bandmates have watched the finished film plenty of times. “We’ve easily watched it 50 times by now,” the frontman laughs.
“It’s an incredible feeling to hear your own music reinterpreted by such amazing musicians,” Winston says. “I was shocked when I first heard the songs, but in a purely positive way. My bandmates and I kept messaging each other in the group chat, saying, ‘Hey, did you notice this? Did you hear that?’” he recalls. “We gave the composer some input on the emotions we wanted the songs to convey, and what he and his orchestra did with that is just incredible. I can’t even describe how I feel when I listen to the tracks.”
The Loudest Concert Ever at the Sydney Opera House?
And what did the staff at the Sydney Opera House think of Parkway Drive’s performance? Was it the loudest concert ever held at the venue? “Yes, 100%!” Winston laughs. “Everyone told us that. Us, the orchestra, the fans… The venue has such incredible acoustics, but afterward, all anyone could say was, ‘Oh man, that was loud.’”
HOME will be released as a live album and film on December 4, 2026, via Epitaph Records. You can pre-order it here!
So, what can we expect from the band next? Winston gives us a playful shrug. “No idea! You’ll have to wait and see.” Come on, surely he can give us a little hint? “Well, this production wasn’t designed to be a one-off…” he teases. “There are plans for us to take our orchestral show out into the world. Nothing concrete just yet, but we’re working on it… stay tuned.”
Oh, we certainly will! For now, though, we’re looking forward to the upcoming festival season. In 2027, Parkway Drive will be performing at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, among other festivals.
Want to see more articles like this? Add us to your preferred Google News sources!
