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Track Listing: Man Named Hell Heavy Lies The Crown Bring It Down Take Me Home Blood In The Gears Dogma Enthroned No Escape The Crooked Path Graveyard Of Empires Diggin' My Own Grave

The SHOWDOWN from Tennessee has a '90s PANTERA influence mixed with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's southern zest.

The Southern rock/Christian metal band has been slugging away since 2002 with their brand of down-tuned sludge. They play tight riffs and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY sounding leads - complete with Zakk Wylde pinched harmonics and all. They had more of a hardcore influence to their sound on their earlier releases and still lean toward metalcore a bit, but have eased up on that genre on their fourth and latest effort, Blood in the Gears. The ten tracks on offer here are heavy and aggressive with some groove and melody thrown in.

Album opener "The Man Named Hell", is a great display of the SHOWDOWN's might. After opening with the sound of a vicious-revving motorcycle, a fade-in flange riff hits you like a two-ton hammer and the harsh vocals grab you from the first verse. Compared with the rest of the disc, the SHOWDOWN throw you for a loop on album closer "Diggin' My Own Grave." Its acoustic beginning and melodic vocals eventually give way to a heavy down-tuned riff, making it a great finish to the album. This song really shows their diversity and ability to change things up with some variation.

Blood in the Gears will be a mixed bag for some fans. The complaint I've heard about the SHOWDOWN is that they have drastically changed styles with each release. But to this scribes ears, I think it's a great album that should get the SHOWDOWN some recognition for their stellar effort. It's the type of rock that catches the listeners ear and leaves a lasting impression.

To buy the CD and for more information, check out their official myspace.