THE SHOWDOWN MELDS INFLUENCES WELL

It’s interesting The Showdown resorts to a title like Back Breaker for its latest release. The rest of the album—lyrical content, song titles, instrumentation—is much more thoughtful in its presentation and substance than simply slapping on a pro wrestling-styled moniker for the album’s identity.

Indeed, for those who look past the surface, The Showdown has released a Greek mythology-themed effort to describe the spiritual reality around us. The effort is centered around “Titanomachy—The Beginning” which means “War of the Gods” and sets an instrumental tone for the constant thrashing and pummeling ahead.

“You will not take what’s mine,” yells David Bunton on “Hephaestus—The Hammer of The Gods,” aptly describing The Showdown’s war cry. The opening tracks combine the varied time signatures and searing ’80s riffs of old-school Metallica (think Kill ‘Em All) with some newer metal influences. The trend continues throughout especially with the over-the-top “Infernus—You Will Move” and “Aries—I Am Vengeance.” The latter bears some rhythmic similarities to Corrosion of Conformity’s In The Arms of God.

Back Breaker closes on a slower, lumbering note of early ’90s Metallica with the metal-layered harmonies of “Medea—One Foot in Hell.” But until this point, The Showdown has sonically created a master battle. It’s an effort unafraid to pay tribute to its influences, yet confident enough to stand tall on its own. –Matt Conner