Band: The Showdown
Title: Temptation Come My Way
Label: Mono Vs. Stereo
Release Date: 2.20.07
Review By: Josh IndieVision
Tracklisting:
01. Fanatics And Whores
02. Head Down
03. Six Feet Under
04. We Die Young
05. Breath Of The Swamp
06. It Drinks From Me
07. Temptation Come My Way
08. Forget My Name
09. Spitting In The Wind
10. I, Victim (Here’s To The Year)
11. Carry On Wayward Son
12. Death Finds Us Breathing
Members/Duties:
David Bunton: Vocals
Josh Childers: Guitar, Vocals
Travis Bailey: Guitar, Vocals
Eric Koruschak: Bass, Vocals
A.J. Barette: Drums
The quintent of Southern boys from Tennessee are back, and boy have they changed. Albeit, anyone should have expected this change after hearing early demos like “Breath Of The Swamp” and if you’ve seen the band live at all in the past year. The band has offered a sophmore album which has already sparked every opinionated fan to share his/her opinion, and I guess now it’s my turn.
The band has shed it’s metalcore skin and revealed a new sound which gives listener’s a new dose of the older metal sounds. Well ok, not that old. Gone as well are David’s throaty growls. They’ve been replaced with clean vocals all around. The guitars have lost most of their distortion but have maintained their all around heaviness. The drums have been tamed from their previous constant pounding. So what does all of this mean? Have the Showdown gone soft?
In a way “yes”, and in another “no”. This album will most likely create a major shift in their fanbase. The diehard metalheads, who lack an appreciation for earlier eras, will probably hate it. On the other hand, I feel that the band will greatly increase their base. /there is a major lack of good, hard rock these days, at least rock that falls outside the “nu-metal” category. They have thankfully stepped up to fill a gap, that has existed for far too long.
As a huge fan of 80’s hard rock & metal, I was blown away by this release. I did not expect such quality songs from such a young band. They could easily fit in the past, but have incorporated newer elements along with it. Songs like “Head Down” instantly bring Def Leppard to mind. I would have like a few more songs similar to “Breath Of The Swamp” though. It most certainly would have lessened the blow to the metal faithful, with the much faster, heavier sound with the yelled vocals. “It Drinks From Me” shows off a softer side and I suppose should be labeled the “ballad” of the disc. The band did Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” well. You can tell it’s the same track, but the band made it their own as well, which in my opinion are the two essentials to a good cover.
Overall Rating: Full of gigantic riffs, memorable choruses and attitude to match this for sure removes any concern for a “sophmore slump”. The band has offered one of the better releases in all of rock that I’ve heard in awhile. Will I miss the old sound? Sure. But gone are those days and the future indeed looks bright for them! (9/10)
Standout Tracks: “Fanatics And Whores”, “Breath Of The Swamp”, “Forget My Name”
Recommendation: Buy It Now
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