Shinedown

Shinedown - The Sound Of Madness - Album Review

The Sound Of Madness is Shinedown’s third studio album.  The 11 tracks were apparently selected from over 60 tracks that singer/songwriter Brent Smith had written and a few new songs written while rehearsing in the studio.  The album represents both Shinedown’s more commercial sounding soft rock leanings as much as a harder grunge rock.

Devour is a great standalone track, but it also serves as a great introduction for the new Shinedown album, The Sound Of Madness.

Devour is an ideal start with snare & bass drum stomping its way towards the speakers, increasing in volume likened to a marching army of soldiers.  The Shinedown army is full of hard-hitting heavy progressive metal soldiers, ready and waiting to explode withpost-punk, post-grunge heavy rock raw, angst agression.

Next up is the title track, Sound Of Madness is slower in tempo, but no less heavy or menacing.  In fact the slower tempo is moreso.  Sound Of Madness has a great throbbing bass and a true call to arms – the sound of madness, when you gonna wake up and fight?

Second Chance is the third track on the album and is altogether a different animal.  Second Chance sounds like an obvious contender for the next single.  With its lighter, more melodic MOR sound, it is both radio and TV friendly, especially with its anthemic sing-a-long chorus.

Cry For Help gets the show back on the road, as the power, volume and beats per minute return and once again Shinedown are, for me, doing what they do best.  Death to timid pop metal! Lock up your daughters.  Cry For Help sounds great on vinyl and probably even better live.

Go to Shinedown Concerts for a list of tour dates.

The Crow & The Butterfly, If You Only Knew, What A Shame, Breaking Inside and Call Me are slower tempo, big anthemic productions which will have live audiences waving their lighters in the air. While Sin With A Grin and Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide return the album to a faster speed and heavier pumping bass and metal-tastic guitar sound.

Of the two sides to Shinedown’s music I prefer it when they are coming towards me like a steaming train with more decibels than lighters.  I understand that anthemic MOR tracks are good for radio, tv and more importantly commercial success but I like to see bands with long hair, tattoos and menacing looks to be loud, grungy and full of spunk; and judging by some of the photos uploaded to the Shinedown Photos website page, I’m not alone.