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By GREG MAKI
According to the press release accompanying their sophomore effort, Temptation Come My Way, Tennessee’s The Showdown is “trying to bring back masculine.” Frontman David Bunton elaborates: “Just watch MTV or Fuse and they are littered with music videos of dudes who look like they are scared to be in their own band. It’s all about star power, and no one has it anymore.”
I’m with you there, buddy.
The same press release also happily informs us that half of the album’s 12 songs have cowbell and “every song has an epic guitar solo.” “Epic” might be overstating it a bit, but the work of guitarists Travis Bailey and Josh Childers is one of the disc’s bright spots. The Zakk Wylde-like stomp and squeals of the opener, “Fanatics and Whores,” should instantly hook anyone who appreciates no-nonsense hard rock, and guitar solos by guys who know how to play their instruments are always a welcome sound to my ears. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with a little cowbell here and there.
Every song isn’t a winner; tracks like “Head Down” and “Forget My Name” are generic radio rock of the Nickelback variety. On the other hand, we have catchy numbers like “Six Feet Under,” aggressive selections like “Breath of the Swamp” and the grooving title track that would have been at home on Corrosion of Conformity’s last album. The band makes an odd choice in covering “Carry on Wayward Son”; when I think “masculine,” Kansas isn’t exactly the first band that comes to mind. The heavier treatment works, but Bunton’s somewhat limited vocal range doesn’t lend itself well to the song. I’m willing to forgive The Showdown for a few stumbles, though, because the good far outweighs the bad.
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