The Showdown

The Showdown, released on 5 November 2010, is the third album, building dramatic melodic metal around the two fierce voices of Russell Allen and Jørn Lande. Powerful riffs, thick keyboards and wide choruses throw the expression of both singers into sharper relief. With Magnus Karlsson and Jaime Salazar in place for a third time, this completes the Karlsson-era trilogy. The vocal exchange, moving like a duet and a conversation at once, is the record's chief pleasure. The opening title track is its heaviest blow, and “Judgement Day” that follows — sung right through by Lande alone — is a gem of melodic rock, and got a video. “Never Again” is a seamless duet between the two, while “Turn All into Gold” is led by Allen, with a distinctly Malmsteen colour in Karlsson's solo. It was recorded across 2009 and 2010, the guitars and keys at Stuntguitar Studio in Höör, the drums at Reingold in Lund, and Lande's vocals separately at Mediamaker in Norway. A record on which piano-led ballads and more dramatic choruses take a larger share.