UMUR
"Showdown" is the 4th full-length studio album by Danish hardcore act Barcode. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in 2005. The lineup features among others former Hatesphere singer Jacob Bredahl (who was still fronting Hatesphere at this point in time).
The music on the album is aggressive hardcore with a metallic edge. There are some riffs that get me thinking about crossover but mostly you get fast-paced hardcore tracks with heavy mid-paced breakdowns. The vocals are raw and aggressive and the trademark hardcore bully choir backing vocals are also used on some tracks. All in all this is a pretty standard hardcore album in terms of overall musical style and the use of genre specific elements. There are some pretty catchy lines here and there and the lyric line in the chorus for "Make My Day" is simply brilliant. It probably doesn´t translate that well to paper but the line "Delivering a genuine reason to cry, Make My Day, Go ahead and die" is delivered with just the right amount of fierce energy, passion and the rhythm, for it to make a huge impact when it hits. The Accept cover "I'm a Rebel" is another highlight that´s worth mentioning.
The sound production is raw but professional and suits the music well. Upon conclusion "Showdown" might not be a revelation to anyone familiar with the genre, but it´s a solid and aggressive hardcore album with catchy parts and a convincing delivery. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.