Christian metal has come a long way in the past couple of years. It wasn’t so long ago that pious bands such as Living Sacrifice, Bride, and Mortification had to eke out careers in the shadows (or maybe the light?), preaching to the converted so to speak. Jesus-metal was the domain of the devout only. Christian headbangers were shunned by their more Lucifer-loving contemporaries and no one outside of the Bible-thumpers took them seriously. After all, metal is about rebellion, right? And what bigger and more ready-made symbol is there than Satan for all that pimply-faced rage? It seemed that unless your band dressed in bumblebee-colored outfits, being metal and Christian were all but mutually exclusive.
And then a funny thing happened. Quietly at first, like sheep in wolves’ clothing, more and more Christian metal bands started creeping into the mainstream (or what passes for mainstream in the metal universe anyway). As I Lay Dying, Demon Hunter, Hopesfall, Symphony In Peril, Zao, Underoath, Norma Jean, and others began scoring slots on secular tours with the likes of Slayer and Killswitch Engage. Before you knew it, die-hard metal fans were singing the praises of bands that, truth be told, they didn’t even realize were Christian. Almost insidiously, God had managed to work his way into the devil’s music.
But lost amid the Gospel-shuffle was a little band named The Showdown. Their 2004 debut, A Chorus of Obliteration, came and went with little fanfare, despite the fact that it was actually more entertaining and praiseworthy than the efforts of most of their Christian metal peers. While it was still rooted firmly in the metal-core sound that had become all the rage, it sported some tasty riffs and interesting vocal arrangements to go along with the played out breakdown-laden formula. Lyrically, it was also much different than the typical Christian fare. Instead of Godly laments and introspection, they treated the listener to a more epic sound, detailing stories from the Bible in an almost Maiden-esque fashion (lyrically speaking) rather than just preaching. All-in-all, it was an impressive debut that showed a lot of below-the-surface potential if they could develop their own style. And now, with their 2007 release Temptation Come My Way, The Showdown have done just that.
And Jesus-fucking Christ, it rocks.
This is a born-again Showdown. Gone are the ridiculous and tired hardcore screaming vocals, replaced by a Hetfield-like metal bark that lends itself much more easily to the Southern-rock vibe they have adopted. One of the biggest knocks against metalcore is the sameness of all those screamers out there. I mean come on, can you really tell me what the difference is between the singer from Dead To Fall and the singer from I Killed The Prom Queen or Bury Your Dead Valentine In Your Arms That Remains or whatever the fuck those bands are called? No you can’t and don’t even try. Wisely, The Showdown have seen the light, so to speak, and that alone elevates them from the pack. While singer Dave Bunton won’t be confused with Ronnie James Dio or Rob Halford anytime soon, he has a decent enough voice that works well with the music he’s singing over, which in this day and age is all one can ask for. What sets these guys apart, though, are their catchy as hell choruses that will stick to your brain like Silly Putty. One or two listens to “Forget My Name” with its Dangerous Toys-meets-Armored Saint chorus and you’ll be singing it all day long. Same thing with “Six Feet Under”, “Fanatics and Whores” and every other track on the album except for the lone dud, a tragically emo-ish pseudo ballad entitled “Death Finds Us Breathing”. Hell, they even manage to make a cover of the old Kansas classic “Carry On My Wayward Son” kick ass.
Out the window are the blatant Pantera rip-off riffs. Instead we are treated to some quasi-thrash/hard rock riffage, mixed in with a little down south boogie. Think Death Angel meets C.O.C., with a little bit of Metallica thrown in. Is it earth-shatteringly original? Not really. Is it pretty fucking good? Nope. It’s border-line great. What these guys have managed to do is record an album that rocks organically and not artificially, which in the era of fake-ass wannabes like Avenged Sevenfold and Every Time I Die. Ironically enough, this would make a great party album for those drunken nights when you and your buds get good and blitzed and wanna sing to the top of your lungs and bang your head like a loon. Look out evil-doers, Temptation Come My Way is the first great metal album of 2007. Believe it.

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