Blood In The Muffins

I love southern metal. This creates a problem, because there are very few southern metal bands, let alone southern metal bands with talent. We had been in a bit of a drought here, until the boys of The Showdown came in and saved the day in the most brutally awesome way ever.

Back in town with their fourth studio album (their second since being signed to Solid State Records), The Showdown have delivered no only one of the best southern metal albums ever, but possibly the metal album of the year. Blood In The Gears combines the brutality of their debut and third releases, A Chorus Of Obliteration and Back Breaker, respectively, with the southern bite and melodic feel of their sophomore effort, Temptation Come My Way, and it does it magnificently.

The Showdown manages to blend aspects of thrash, death, and southern metal with hardcore, and they do it perfectly. One track flows into another without becoming repetitive. Blood In The Gears distinguishes itself from the crowd with the intro to the very first track. They start it off with a motorcycle engine that leads into a pummeling double kick drum line and crunching palm-muted guitars.

"The Man Named Hell" and "Heavy Lies The Crown" have a thrash-tastic feel with great melodic choruses. "Bring It Down" switches gears by throwing a little hardcore into the mix with the blisteringly fast drums and guitars that made The Showdown famous in the first place. "Take Me Home" changes pace with a slower beat and clean, albeit gritty, vocals - Dave Bunton has the perfect southern metal voice, and this song really showcases that. Finally, we hit the title track, and my favorite song from the album: "Blood In The Gears". It has the perfect mix of brutality and melody with a chorus that hooks you right in. "Dogma Enthroned" brings the pain and knocks you off your feet with a death/thrash onslaught. "No Escape", "The Crooked Path", and "Graveyard Of Empires" continue in the same direction as the rest of the album and work very well with it. They close it all out with a ballad of sorts (similar to "It Drinks From Me" for all you Temptation fans out there) entitled "Diggin' My Own Grave".

Now, if you folks were lucky enough to get the deluxe edition on iTunes, you got two amazing bonus tracks - "Evil Eye" and "Apocalypse Horde". The physical copy of the deluxe edition came with a different track - "Wolven Throne". All three of the tracks are definitely deserving of a listen, and my only complaint is that you had to get a hold of them separately, because they really are worth owning.

The Showdown have delivered so much more than simply a solid album. Blood In The Gears is a masterpiece and very well may be the metal album of the year. If you haven't already, go pick it up. Right now. Go. Stop reading, just go. You'll thank me later.

>Pawn