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Temptation Come My Way [Hard / Heavy]
WEBSITE: www.theshowdownmetal.com
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When five boys from the backwoods of Tennessee decide they have nothing to lose, you never know what might result. It could be mayhem. It could be recklessness. It could be just plain killer. Or, it could be all three at the exact same time. On, “Temptation Come My Way”, THE SHOWDOWN gives you the where, why, and how of the devastation, unpredictability, and substance that has come to personify this one-of-a kind heavy metal act. Just don’t ask them if they fit into the fashion of what heavy music today has become: Front-man David Bunton proclaims: “We’re just trying to bring back masculine. We’re trying to take the sensitive guy out, and bring the BAD BOY back. 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. If it gets any worse I’m going to just put ‘Enter Sandman’ on repeat, then I won’t have to listen to all those sensitive feminine bands crying and whining. We are going to stuff those jokers in trash cans and give them swirlies.”
THE SHOWDOWN, and their sophomore release, are not just defined by a collection of devastating, brutal, memorable songs. Rather, the songs are a reflection of a lifestyle, a carefree, live-each moment-as-if-it-were-your-last mentality that separates them from the rest. The members of the band themselves, and their antics on and off the road, make them resemble mythical characters, larger-than-life rock super heroes. But THE SHOWDOWN want you to know that beneath the fun, beneath the mayhem, lies a sense of substance; Rock n’ Roll is not the end in and of itself, but just a metaphor for something greater:
“We are about power, fire, pyro, oil, rocks, and heavy,” adds bass player Eric Koruschak. “Whether that means rolling around town on our dirt bikes, hauling our twenty-five foot trailer to a show, or starting a barbeque in a random parking lot, we want to have fun and take it to the extreme on and off the road. And our live show is 110%, 110% of the time. But we aren’t about the party as a means to escape. We have joy because we have truth, and because we have been blessed. It isn’t drugs and girls and alcohol, but a genuine love of life because of our blessings that gives us our attitude.”
On “Temptation Come My Way”, the band more than ups the ante. With over two years in its creation, the band put painstaking effort into making it as close to flawless as humanly possible. And as strong as their debut effort was, the new release is as “The Black Album” was to “Ride The Lightning”. The production, provided by Paul Ebersold (Three Doors Down, Saliva) is huge, and reminiscent of a different era, a better era, an era when it was about songs and not just brutality. There is as much classic metal influence as there is heavy rock. Think Iron Maiden, pre-“Load” Metallica, and Stone Temple Pilots. Choruses, verses, bridges. Dramatic song writing, that is not just seventeen riffs, randomly pieced together, with a fifteen-word song title. Six of the twelve tracks even have cowbell and every song has an epic guitar solo! Yet, with all the fun-loving talk of being “extreme and killer”, the deepest parts of THE SHOWDOWN’s hearts are for the changed lives of all they come in contact with. It is this spiritual fervour that gives their band life beyond just powerful music, and it is exemplified in their lyrics. On “We Die Young,” the band confronts the idea of the “live fast” mentality, proclaiming that there is something more to live for: “Are you satisfied? Do you feel alive? Tired tongue and aching chest. What it takes outdoes your best. Death redraws the line... Do you feel alive?” And on “It Drinks From Me” a warning against addiction is given: “Love ain’t the bottom of the bottle, ‘cause love is in the aftermath. But love is easier to swallow than giving up and looking back. It drinks from me and I'm through.” Finally, on the title track, the confrontation of weakness and vice is the major theme: “Hey, hey, you are the storm and the sun will drown. I love to love the way that you let me down. And if I ever strut bring me right back down. Remind me today that temptation’s still in town.”
Guitarist/lyricist Josh Childers states: “If you really want to affect people you have to be honest, all the flowery phrases and big words in the world won’t make one bit of difference if it’s not from the gut. The lyrics on this album recount the last several years, good times, bad times, all of it. It may not always read this way, but it’s about overcoming, about going through the tunnel and coming out as determined as ever to see the thing through. Temptation and everything else came at us and we’re still here, so bring it on.”
With a devastating, three-dimensional live show, new audiences are sure to gravitate toward this band in the months to come. The mighty Thor-esque Bunton (complete with flowing blond locks) fronts a storm of long hair, much akin to vintage Slayer shows, and others from the golden era of metal. And few can match the wit of Bunton’s stage banter: again, the antics are as entertaining and unpredictable as they are brutal. Are they super heroes? Are they Cartoon characters? Are they heavy metal heroes? Yes, and more. They have already hit the road and toured with industry powerhouses Flyleaf, Pillar, Blindside, Project 86, and It Dies Today. They have also shared stages with such leaders as Underoath, Trivium, and Chiodos, and are prepping for a European jaunt with Norma Jean in advance of “Temptation’s” release. Non-stop touring will play a pivotal role as their story builds...
While others are piercing their faces and donning the latest scene fashion, THE SHOWDOWN is
playing heavy music the way it was meant to be played - fast, loud, fun, and real. One brush with them live or on record and you will meet a band that has something that most don’t. “We take nothing for granted. We could just as easily be at home, but we are so fortunate to be able to do this,” Bunton explains. “And whether we are writing, touring, or just hanging out with kids at our shows, we are going to do it to the best of our ability. Always extreme. Always killer. We know you are going to feel the two years of work we put into this thing. We know this is just the beginning.” On Tour with Norma Jean & He Is Legend in January 2007!
The Showdown – “Temptation Come My Way” (49:58) track-listing:
1. Fanatics And Whores (3:18),
2. Head Down (4:19)
3. Six Feet Under (4:04)
4. We Die Young (4:18)
5. Breath Of The Swamp (3:16)
6. It Drinks From Me (4:36)
7. Temptation Come My Way (4:12)
8. Forget My Name (4:22)
9. Spitting In The Wind (3:15)
10. I Victim (Here’s To The Year) (3:43)
11. Carry On Wayward Son (4:21)
12. Death Finds Us Breathing (4:05)
Line-up:
Travis Bailey – Guitars
David Bunton – Vocals
Josh Childers – Guitars
Eric Koruschak – Bass
AJ Barrette - Drums
(Quelle: Century Media Records)
FORMAT: CD
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