Alexandra Palace, London, October 3: Hooded figures carrying flaming torches emerge from pillars of smoke. An organ echoes through the night. The smoke clears and suddenly there is a primal explosion of energy. It is visceral, ferocious, intense; an aggressive wall of sound.
It is the heavy metal behemoth Parkway Drive's triumphant return to touring after a three-year absence. There will be pyrotechnics, flames shooting up to the rafters, strobing lights, an ecstatic arm-pumping audience worshipping the music with the reverence of a religious revival.
Parkway Drive is one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world, headlining European festivals in front of tens of thousands of fans. All seven of their albums have gone gold. "We're up there with the top musical exports of this country, full stop," says lead singer Winston McCall.
