Formed four years ago, SHOWDOWN are a five piece outfit from Germany, previously known a Torpedo but as there was a band with a similar name, they changed SHOWDOWN. The group released their self-titled album produced, recorded and mixed by themselves, with a second batch including an extra track.
All musicians in SHOWDOWN are in their twenties, and while none born in the Eighties, they play music like if it is 1984. “Showdown” rocks with fiery riffs akin the first KEEL, BLACK ‘N BLUE, early DOKKEN, TWISTED SISTER, etc.
This is US hard rock with a vintage feel in the way the songs are arranged, as well as the gang choruses – not so layered as in the second half of the 80s but more ‘heavy’, street-type.
It’s really cool to hear a bunch of young dudes playing this musical style, obviously done with passion and for the love of it. Songs like ‘The Chosen One’, ‘Metal Rider The Wild Hunt’, ‘Racing Machine’, ‘Cherry Bomb’ are driven by that type of ‘wet riffs’ so 1983-84 from the American scene, and the band can built nice ballads too as in ‘Letting Go’.
While production could be better and especially the mix on some tracks, what is really nice with “Showdown” is its authenticity – this is a well versioned genre already, but you can hear that these guys really love and enjoy what they are doing here.
A very enjoyable album from a band with a lot of potential, with a proper producer they can create something really good. They have the chops, the songs… and the hair!
01 – The Chosen One
02 – Just One Night
03 – Racing Machine
04 – Black Viper
05 – Letting Go
06 – Cherry Bomb
07 – Metal Rider The Wild Hunt
08 – Memories
09 – The Machine
10 – Calm Before the Storm
11 – Thunder Town
12 – In the Name of Love (Bonus Track 2021)
Nikki Z – lead vocals
Glen Vega – guitar
Alek Saint – guitar, keys vocals
Keith Louis – bass
Johnny Machine – drums
turbo – upconvert [ 192 to 320]