Pandemic = creativity? Well, in some cases it kinda looks that way. Not only did we get new music by bands at a faster pace – what normally take between 3-5 years in between albums now only took one year and some bands even took the opportunity to put out everything they’ve written throughout lock-down and release double albums – a bold task in a time when people’s attention spans are reduced to more or less zero. And the fact is some records really are almost overpowering to digest. Both Def Leppard and Thunder has released such records – with good results, I might add even though they took their time to stick. Now it’s time for Shinedown to do the same. A 20-song tracklist almost gave me a full stomach before even listening.
This time the band took a step out of their comfort zone and has delivered a concept album, something they at least partly dipped their toes into on their last record Attention Attention (2018). This album holds an almost dystopian outlook and going into darker topics like the state of the world in general with all that goes with it – cancel culture, mental health issues, social media interactions and woke culture – a bold move for a band that always had a big commercial edge to them and a band that actually still sells quite a lot of physical copies. Quality wise, I’m not worried personally because I know how good sing writers they are but will the album fall into good hands with their audience or is this a too grandiose project for them to handle?
“2184” that opens the album is an intro with a big 80’s sounding synth sound which leads us straight into the real opener “No Sleep Tonight”, a fast, hard, manic and loud riff-rocker with both a metal-edge and a thrashy Punk vibe, pretty right in your face like a punch in the jaw with both aggression and rawness yet with memorable melodies and a very melodic guitar solo, very short and concise. The title-track and single takes a heavier and slower direction. It’s a powerful, fat-riffed and even Led Zeppelin inspired rocker with a dark and dystopian ambience all over. The chorus is both explosive and catchy. A killer tune – no wonder it went to # 1 for the band.
The futuristic sounding interplay “Welcome” serves as an intro to the single “Dysfunctional You”, a song that starts out slow, softer and held-back with only a synth and Brent Smith’s vocals. When the band joins in the song takes a more upbeat beat and holds the structure of a modern power ballad of sorts. It’s an easily embraced yet not shallow ballad with classic Shinedown melodies and the chorus is phenomenal. The heavy and muscular “Dead Don’t Die” is a mid-paced metal-fueled darkening track that brings on some fine-tuned vocal-lines and a direct and effective refrain that sounds like classic Shinedown all the way. It’s a powerful tune with a driven arena-rock riff and a splendid chorus. “You might be woke but you’re not awake”, spits Smith. Boom!!
“Standardized Experiences” is another interlude with a robotic voice telling us “this world is not on fire…” which leads us into the upbeat and stompy “America Burning” and you don’t have to be a genius to figure out what this one’s about. It kicks of groundy and organic with only bass, drums and vocals but when the guitar comes in it provides us with a crunchy and beefy riff and the rhythm section turns thunderous and hard leading us into a captivating chorus with a contagious hook before the robotic, cinematic robot voice known as the A.I. Cyren returns in the shape of the interlude “Do Not Panic”. By now it’s obvious that the album do not contain 20 songs as such as many of them are interludes and intros.
On a more quiet note “A Symptom Of Being Human” starts out as an acoustic slow song before some orchestrated keyboards comes in making the tune bombastic and prodigious. Still a slow paced ballad, the song is emotional and vulnerable and very laid-back and earthy and the following “Hope” follows the same formula. A somber and fragile tune, this one also brings on electric guitars and a graceful vocal-melody. Both song brings out pretty much the same message – it’s ok to be different so embrace that. Both songs are very good. Another brief passage called “A More Utopian Future” comes in before we can go on with “real” tracks.
The rough-riffy “Clueless And Dramatic” comes on strong with an in-your-face crunch on a muscular foundation and a live-friendly outlook. It’s stompy, groovy, melodic with uplifting melodies and an instant catchiness, a song to rock out to but also holds an important and serious message. Don’t be fake, be real, in short. Good one. “Sure Is Fun” is insanely catchy with a plethora of poppy hooks and contagious melodies. It’s a mid-paced and rhythmic pop-rocker that would turn out really good in your car-stereo. The single “Daylight” is a stripped down piano ballad with a soulful vocal performance from Smith. The guitar and a big backup choir comes in making the tune bombastic and even musical theatre influenced on a dramatic note. Good stuff.
“This Is A Warning” is another intro with an 80’s synth-pop vibe and a dystopian twitch which leads us right into “The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo”, a hard-rocking pop tune with a heavy outlook and some raunchy and edgy guitars. The meeting of heavy rhythms and fat riffage and cleaner, pop-laden vocals makes for a dynamic contrast – and the chorus is just magnificent. ” Army Of The Underappreciated” is a crafty, fast-tracked and punkish slammer that takes the band into a more modern Metal mode on a straight ahead note. It’s aggressive, rough and ballsy, a decent song that unfortunately doesn’t go all the way to the goal and fades into oblivion a bit too fast.
Cyren comes back with its sci-fi robotic voice in the short mid-play “Delete” before the closing track “What You Wanted” comes in and ends the record. It’s a soulful and emotional piece with a saddening mood asking us if this is really “What You Wanted”. It’s slow, stripped down and earthy with only vocals and an orchestrated synth, very bombastic and grandiose. It’s not a catchy a ballad, more introvert yet it draws you in with intoxicating melodies all over.
All in all, this is a bold project and while it might not be for everyone – if you only want another crowd-pleasing, radio-friendly Shinedown effort you might be scared off by this – but if you give it time and let it sink in listen by listen there’s a lot to be enjoyed by here. And there are enough classic Shinedown catchy tunes here for old fans to appreciate. Again, a big theme-album – this might even count as a rock-opera – is brave to to release in this day and age when many listeners never listens to an album and only pick the raisins out of the cake but this is a really good album and it works well – despite all the interludes and intros. For me, this is an album to listen to back to back but it also works for you who only want to hear the odd song here and there.
7/10
More Shinedown reviews:
Amaryllis
Threat To Survival
Attention! Attention!
Tracklist:
1. 2184
2. No Sleep Tonight
3. Planet Zero
4. Welcome
5. Dysfunctional You
6. Dead Don’t Die
7. Standardized Experiences
8. America Burning
9. Do Not Panic
10. A Symptom Of Being Human
11. Hope
12. A More Utopian Future
13. Clueless And Dramatic
14. Sure Is Fun
15. Daylight
16. This Is A Warning
17. The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo
18. Army Of The Underappreciated
19. Delete
20. What You Wanted
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