ALLEN-LANDE – The Showdown

2010 has been a very busy year for one Jorn Lande. A full length album from Masterplan, a Dio tribute album, several guest vocal performances for Avanstasia, and now the latest release from the vocal duo known as Allen-Lande. Lande has not missed a step with all this work, and with his partner, Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen, they have released the third and most anticipated album of their alliance.

The Showdown is arguably the best of the three Allen-Lande albums to date. The songs are more intricate and more developed than their predecessors. Like the prior works, all of the music and lyrics are written by guitarist Magnus Karlsson. Karlsson has proven once again that he is just as much of a phenomenal guitarist as he is songwriter.

Musically, all of the tracks feature very precise and harmonious hooks and melodies, along with many orchestral arrangements and top-notch production. Karlsson puts together a slew of outstanding riffs for each track. He also performs some well-defined guitar solos. He clearly proves himself as one of the top Progressive Metal guitarists around today.

Lyrically, many of the songs are very introspective, uplifting, and borderline spiritual. There seems to be a “good vs. evil” theme featured in many of the tracks. An example being the song “We Will Rise Again,” which proclaims “We know evil has many faces, we won’t be fooled no more.” There are also themes of hope and overcoming adversity in the lyrics. This can be heard in “Turn All Into Gold” when Allen sings “The time has arrived when the past will be erased and all your dark thoughts will fade away.” None of the tracks portray anything profane or negative; the entire album has a very positive vibe.

One of the best tracks is “Eternity” with its haunting melody.  It features some of Russell Allen’s best vocal work of the entire album. This is a very melancholy and enchanting ballad. Another great song is “The Artist” featuring Lande’s vocals. Lande does a magnificent job of emulating the struggles and challenges portrayed in the lyrics. Along with a great driving guitar riff, this song is potentially the most captivating on the album.

Overall, The Showdown should easily meet and exceed any fan’s expectation. The performances are done with the utmost professionalism. There is an abundance of talent included — a virtual who’s who of Prog Metal musicians. There really isn’t a weak song or poor presentation anywhere on this album. Of course, perfection is in the ear of the listener, but this album could easily be considered a masterpiece in many circles.