Sometimes, a good classic movie reference is all you need. Case in point, Mega Colossus guitarist/vocalist Bill Fischer who compares the band's new Showdown studio album to its 2021 Riptime predecessor with a nod to an iconic series from the 1980s: Showdown is to Riptime as Temple of Doom is to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Fischer is spot on. Showdown takes Mega Colossus's brand of triumphant, big melodic metal to new heights without forgetting where the band came from. It's like the perfect sequel -- but better! Recorded with Al Jacob at Warrior Sound in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in early 2023, Showdown catches Mega Colossus in full stride, expanding upon its template of dueling twin-guitar harmonies and gallops. Buchanan's vocals (think of him somewhere between Diamond Head's Sean and Harris and Dragonforce's Marc Hudson) are strident and effortless, carrying forth grandiose, bold choruses that even possess the occasional Styx reference. But above all else, Showdown is the amalgamation of five very different musicians with something unique to offer to Mega Colossus. It is no wonder, then, that Showdown has emerged as an epic display of uncanny and striking melodic metal, with all the depth and charisma of a band now entering its 20th year.
