The Showdown reviewed
The Showdown
Temptation Come My Way
(Mono Vs. Stereo)
Tennessee boys The Showdown are out to oust sensitive rock and bring back the bad boys. Let’s hope they can find some bad boys, ‘cuz it sure ain’t them.
Temptation Come My Way is about as safe as rock albums can get, throwing in as many familiar heavy rock staples — menacing all-black sleeve, double bass, pinched harmonics, gang choruses, fake swampy acoustic intros, fucking cowbell — in the hopes someone, anyone gets so fixated trying to figure out what influences they hear that they end up bobbing their heads for awhile. Frontman David Bunton never found a cliché he was too embarrassed to utter or name a song for (“Carry On Wayward Son,” “We Die Young”), while mimicking everyone from Phil Anselmo to Zakk Wylde. It’s certainly no crime to follow the crowd, but it’s hard to lead a muscle-bound revolution from the rear.
— Steve Forstneger
