I really thought we were just getting a standard concert doco. Having missed Parkway Drive’s historic performance at the Sydney Opera House last year, honestly, I would’ve happily taken whatever grainy, band-approved footage they threw at us.

But the band had ventured into the doco realm before – they knew how challenging it would be to make another movie about a gig. So they did what they do best: delivering a story that’s equal parts hilarious and moving, packed with super serious behind-the-scenes moments and just as much unfiltered banter, looking at the project from a polished yet genuinely personal perspective.

So put on your black-tie attire (like we all obediently did for the premiere), get the popcorn going and grab some tissues. You’re in for an emotionally charged ride.

ART 283 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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[This post includes movie spoilers.]

I’ve been singing Parkway Drive‘s praises for years: here, in an earlier doco review, and here, in a gig review. So I’ll go straight to the point this time. Because if you haven’t heard of these heavy metal reps from Byron Bay, NSW, can you really call yourself an Aussie music fan?

Interestingly, though, the band members don’t really think of themselves as “real musicians.” Which is mind-blowing, considering their seven critically acclaimed albums, headline spots at international festivals, 763k followers on IG and 1.6 M monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

That imposter syndrome is at the core of the documentary itself, though. (And it resurfaced a few times at the Q&A after the movie, too.) So if I had to summarise it in a Netflix blurb, I’d put it like this: In “Parkway Drive: HOME”, renowned heavy music trailblazers with a history spanning over two decades find themselves at their most vulnerable and human yet after committing to a VERY ambitious project.

The two movie directors, Macario De Souza and Allan Hardy, confirmed just how daring that undertaking was when they opened the evening for us. Three years in the making, it went from a crazy idea to put together a show of epic proportions in Australia’s Home for Arts and Culture to premiering the movie documenting that process at an elegant venue in Sydney’s CBD. “And we’re a heavy metal band,” Jia O’Connor (bass) summarised that eclectic mix in the film.

Take the helicopter stunt, for example. Apparently, it almost didn’t happen. But now, only Winston McCall (vocals) and Batman can brag that they landed on top of the Sydney Opera House. “Not even Tom Cruise, man,” his bandmates would joke.

So, yes, everything about making this project happen and bringing it “home” was extraordinary. When the band heard about it for the first time, they – allegedly – thought the directors “were full of shit.” And I can see why.

Firstly, because the Sydney Opera House show wasn’t a regular Parkway Drive gig. It was meant to demonstrate a completely different side to the group’s sound and vibe. With an outside-the-box setting (yet again), people usually headbanging to the band’s tracks were restrained to their seats in elegant clothing. Plus, it was definitely the most sophisticated set, whose prep took half a year at least.

The film audience definitely had a ball watching the five Byron Bay heavy metal blokes get fitted for high-end black-tie attire. Between Luke Kilpatrick (rhythm guitar) admitting, “I’ve never worn a suit in my life,” Winston firing back with, “That’s the most rock’n’roll thing to say,” and Ben Gordon (drums) topping it off with a deadpan, “Sir, can I park your car?” — the banter was pure gold.

The Sydney event was a challenge for another reason, though. It is an Opera House, after all. So 70 symphonic orchestra musicians accompanied the band on stage, and the project’s musical director reimagined each of the 20 tracks for that impressive ensemble.

And how did the band react to it?

When they rocked up to one of the rehearsals, they were handed a sheet with the music “translated” from their metal arrangement for an orchestral piece. Obviously, none of the band members could read it properly because – let’s face it – you don’t really need it if your job description includes guitar shredding. So Ben throws in a disarming comment, “It might as well be upside down,” while Luke adds something along the lines of “It’s insane how much work it takes” and Jeff Ling (lead guitar) muses that it was the first time he’d actually heard the melody of a song written 20 years ago.

But hear me out: what if heavy metal and classical music are actually not that far off?

I recently spoke to somebody who claims that despite vastly different instrumental and vocal delivery, the two genres are surprisingly related in their structure. If you think about it, the composition and song arrangement are usually very elaborate in both cases. In fact, many famous heavy anthems feel like sophisticated rock symphonies. Take Parkway Drive’s “Wild Eyes”: you’ve got a recurring guitar riff – the motif; the instruments are meticulously layered throughout the track, and tempo changes occur frequently. Just like in any of Mozart’s pieces, really.

As a result, we got all the Parkway Drive greatest hits you can think of, including “Carrion”, “Glitch”, “Sacred”, or “Prey”, and some surprises arranged anew. And this brings me to my next point – the guests.

The movie doesn’t open with the band, you see. It starts with the Traditional Owners of the land on which Sydney Opera House stands, known to the Gadigal people as Tubowgule. There’s a Welcome to Country and a yidaki (didgeridoo) player on stage.

But the real cultural and genre crossover happens when First Nations rapper Nooky joins the band for “Shadow Boxing.” The two musos pay a beautiful tribute to Aboriginal heritage through that collaboration: Winston learns the words in Nooky’s native language, and Nooky nails a proper heavy metal “T-Rex growl.” The scene where they both belt out the chorus together gave me the chills.

The gig’s softer side was a triumph, too. Jenna McDougall from Tonight Alive brought “A Deathless Song” to life (pun well intended) with an enthralling duet with Winston. At first, the whole band had serious doubts about how the song would turn out live, but they were proven wrong. Jeff straight-up admitted he couldn’t concentrate on playing his guitar part, amazed by their vocal pairing.

Speaking of admiration, humility and gratitude – they’re very much part of the film. Especially in the scenes with families who get to watch the show and share their thoughts on how far the band has come. Seeing the parents so proud of their sons is truly touching.

But then, in true Parkway Drive style, archival footage of Jia singing into some sort of Guitar Hero mic as a teenager appears on screen. The solemn atmosphere turns into a fun, nostalgic memory, on a lighter note.

The movie’s focal point is not the band itself, however. It’s the songs that gain new meaning told through other people’s stories. Jia put it bluntly at the Q&A, “Without the fans, we’re just five idiots,” while Winston acknowledged the incredible trust punters place in them. “Not all bands get that,” he humbly added.

So we learn about a local single father raising two boys whose partner/mum recently passed away and is remembered through the band’s music. There’s also a girl from Germany suffering from a life-threatening condition who is cleared by the doctors to go to Sydney to enjoy the concert. And who would have thought that a groom would dislocate his shoulder, moshing to a Parkway Drive track at his own wedding?

So many other punters share precious memories and shed happy tears witnessing their fave band’s historic show up close at Australia’s most prestigious venue. Every song seems to have its own story, expertly interwoven through the movie.

Parkway Drive are known for stepping up their game with every new release, and they put a lot of pressure on themselves with all the elaborate treats they keep inventing (like Ben’s revolving drum kit). But this time, the stakes were even higher. Their fans’, peers’, and the whole industry’s eyes were on them. Jeff mentioned they’re perfectionists as a collective, so they must have felt slightly uncomfortable leading the charge and setting another industry benchmark.

But the lively film reactions at the premiere speak for themselves. There were frequent loud cheers, clapping and head-bobbing in tune with the music. It turned out quite a few people were at the original show last year, so it was a cool opportunity for them to relive it. In the post-movie interviews, punters were raving about the documentary, calling it “insane, unbelievable, and ten out of ten.”

So how do you top that unusual, once-in-a-lifetime experience?

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Maybe it wasn’t the biggest crowd of their extensive career, but that fleeting moment of doing something different and making it count for the fans is what the whole band regards as special. They are well aware it might never happen again. Or maybe it will? “Imagine a Parkway Opera House band – that’s a career we never saw coming,” Winston teased.

Because at the end of the day, “home is a feeling and a sense of connection; the thing that makes home is the people inside it”. So, go make Parkway Drive’s movie your home, too.

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‘Parkway Drive: HOME”

Genre: Documentary

Release date: November 12, 2026 (Australia)

Country of origin: Australia

Official site: Parkway Drive’s official website

Language: English

Runtime: 1h 28m (88 min)

Production company: Hype Republic

Distributor: Mushroom Studios (in Australia)

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