The Showdown: Backbreaker

This is one stinkin’ heavy album! From the bottom end and guitar all the way to the lyrics and the singing. Without a doubt, I think this will be the best album of 2008. In a sea of mediocre metal, these guys are kicking butt to take the crown.

I listened a little to “A Chorus Of Obliteration”, but at the time was not really a fan. Then one day I decided to take a look at “Tempation Come My Way”. That album made me a fan. I loved the return to old school metal on that album. Long was I missing catchy hooks, guitar solos and outright power. I eagerly awaited the new album, especially when I caught a glimpse of their postings on youtube. I thought it was going to be the same but even heavier. When I got the first listen to some of their cuts on MySpace, I was a little disappointed to see them going back to ACOO. It grew on me a little, but when I finally got to listen the whole album, I quickly changed my mind. Backbreaker melds the two previous albums together and makes for one fantastic album. Like the sweetness of  chocolate covering the saltiness of a pretzel.  David Bunton’s voice is perfect on this. It growls with all the power of a freshly caged lion on steroids. The lyrics are some of the most poetic and ambiguously delicious that I have ever heard. When straight reading them, sometimes the meaning gets a little lost, but actually listening to them in the song, opens up the depth of them. To boot, I love the mythological tie-ins. Growing up, I was always a fan of mythology. It wasn’t until I read “That Hideous Strength”, by C.S. Lewis, that I was reawakened to the creative aspect of them. In my “tinkering with music” stage of my life, I had always wanted to do something in a similar vein. These guys nail it on the head. The artwork is also pretty neat from Ryan Clark as well. If only more bands could write this kind of stuff. This is a instant “classic” that has been in heavy rotation on my CD player to the point of naseum.

Metability: *****
Lyrics: *****
Artwork: *****
Production: *****