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Shinedown - Sound of Madness

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Brent Smith – Vocals

Nick Perri – Guitar

Zach Myers – Guitar

Eric Bass – Bass

Barry Kerch – Drums

           

            After a platinum album and another gold Jacksonville’s Shinedown comes back with their third installment. The Atlantic Records band has seen many of their track become huge on the air waves and they also have a DVD under their belts. The band did go through a couple of changes losing members Jasin Todd and Brad Stewart, but picked up Nick Perri formally of Silvertide and Eric Bass. The band also added another successful single “Devour” to add to the list of “45” and “Save Me.” The new album titled The Sound of Madness hit stores on June 24 of 2008 and they quickly hit the road to support it. The opening track “Devour” is the first single off the album and is a very catchy tune. It is a great way to start the album as it gets you into the hard rock mood. It also would be a great way to begin a show. “Devour” just pumps you up. The title track spins off second with another high flying track. It offers up pounding drums, raging guitars, great vocals and an easy to follow set of lyrics. Just with those two tracks the album is worth having. It follows in the footstep on Leave a Whisper and Us and Them. It’s amazing beginning to the album that is on pace at this point to be a perfectly constructed masterpiece. “Second Chance” is a track that fans will absolutely fall in love with. With lyrics like: “Tell my mother, tell my father, I’ve done the best I can to make them realize, This is my life, I hope that they understand, I’m not angry, I’m just saying sometimes goodbye is a second chance,” it is clear that they are still focused on writing great meaningful lyrics. It’s a track that will touch your heart. “Cry For Help” speeds the album back up to full throttle. It has more high flying guitar solos and pounding drums. The vocals are fast but clear and it is easy to sing along. It defiantly has the live energy feel to it and it will make its way on the air waves sooner or later, I just hope for sooner. Shinedown slows it down just a bit with “The Crow & The Butterfly” to clean up some of the debris from the storm that just hit, but what listeners need to know that its just eye of the storm and will pick back up sooner of later with the other 6 tracks that are left to enjoy. It is a highly emotional and passion filled song, but with Mr. Smith almost every track feels like this because of his vocals. “If You Only Knew” is a heart filled track that talks about not having that special someone beside you and holding on to the letters that that person returned back. The chorus is perfect written with saying “its 4:03 and I can’t sleep without you next to me. I toss and turn like the sea.” It’s just incredible! “Sin With A Grin” takes the album back to the harder side of things. With multiple places where they use gang vocals it blends great with Bret alone and is set off with the guitar and drum solo. “What A Shame,” the longest track of the album, is a simple track that talks about a man that can’t be changed as “Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide” has to be the catchiest track on the album. It will stick in your head for days on in as you sing “fuck the silver, let’s go straight for the Gold!” over and over, again and again. You’ll have this one repeat! “Breaking Inside” shows the band versatility as they switch from powerhouse hard rock style to a more intimate slower (but still hard) type that is just as powerful by using the vocals of Brent instead of the raging guitars and pounding drums. “Call Me” ends the album with another slower intimate track explaining the life Mr. Smith. Its enhanced with a piano and showcases the mind and vocals of Brent. It’s a passionate track that is straight forward and to the point. He is letting his new fiancée know that he loves her very much, but this is his life and this is what he knows. Overall this album is, well let’s just say if you don’t go get this album something is wrong. This is a must have! I have review many albums this year and as of today it is in the top 5 for album of the year along with Rev Theory, Disturbed, Another Black Day and Jet Black Stare. Also if you don’t have those, they are must listen to albums too. Back to Shinedown, this is an incredible album that features a hard rock sound and one of the best singers in today’s rock world. Brent can sing anything and “Call Me” proves that. He puts every ounce of energy he has in writing the tracks and while he is singing them as well. Great job guys!

 

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

My favorite tracks:

Devour, Sound of Madness, Cry For Help, Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide

 

 

Track List:

1.      Devour

2.      Sound of Madness

3.      Second Chance

4.      Cry For Help

5.      The Crow & The Butterfly

6.      If You Only Knew

7.      Sin With A Grin

8.      What A Shame

9.      Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide

10.  Breaking Inside

11.  Call Me

 

Website (s): www.shinedown.com, www.atlanticrecords.com

http://www.imeem.com/shinedown/music/Y-idLjD4/shinedown_second_chance/

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