When The Showdown releases its sophomore album, "Temptation Come My Way," from Mono vs Stereo Records, on Feb. 20, you'll see: it's petal to the metal all the way.
Frontman David Bunton openly proclaimed the band’s intention to “bring back masculine.” We won’t repeat all he had to say about whiny sensitivity and “stuffing jokers in trash cans,” but suffice it to say that The Showdown is deliberate in coming on strong. “We are all about power, fire, pyro, oil, rocks and heavy,” adds bassist Eric Koruschak, but don’t get too nervous. It’s more about the band’s love of life than it is about setting anything on fire.
“Temptation Come My Way” is straight-up southern rock/metal, a relentless rhythm section that gives not an inch, and thrashing guitars. Accordingly, of the album’s twelve tracks, not one misses a thundering guitar solo, and there is cowbell to spare, from the richly arranged cover of Kansas’ “Carry On, Wayward Son,” to their slightly revamped rendition of “Breath of the Swamp.” Topics covered come straight from the gut, including alcoholic parents, on the dark, note-bending “It Drinks From Me,” as does the band’s delivery, from raunchy picking to discordant vocal growls. The title track shines through for its splashy riffs and throaty vocals, shades of Sabbath, and I enjoyed “Spitting in the Wind,” at once melodic and defiant. Fast and loud, The Showdown’s “Temptation Come My Way” is metal in its purest state.
