Review Summary: The sound of success.
Shinedown has always been a cut above the rest of other mainstream rock bands. From the beginning it was obvious that the band had a lot of potential. Many would make a case for
Leave A Whisper being the band’s greatest achievement, due to its rawness and Brent Smith’s pure vocal power. A smaller group might even argue
Us And Them, due to its improved songwriting and greater musical technicality. And
The Sound of Madness shows the band fully embracing the mainstream and radio-friendliness. So why do I consider this their best work? The reason is that I have yet to see an album that surpasses what this album has achieved in both accessibility and overall quality in today’s modern rock scene.
And accessiblity is certainly not a problem for this album. The album’s #1 hit single,
Second Chance, should be familiar to most. It’s almost a shame that it’s had the level of overexposure it’s had, because it’s a heartfelt ballad that really stands out against other recent radio-dominating hits. Thankfully, the rest of the softer material is just as good. The diversity in the ballads is the album’s biggest strength, and not a single one is lacking in emotion or a strong melody. This is good, because the ballads take up 6 of the 11 spots on the album, a quality that would drown most other mainstream rock records. The band keeps delivering them so well that not once does it feel like filler, and each one is memorable in its own way.
The instrumentation isn’t ever flashy, but what really make the songs memorable are the little things the band adds to the songs. Strings are nothing new in rock ballads, but the way they’re utilized here makes the songs feel downright epic, despite being structurally simple. In
If You Only Knew, they mix with the acoustic and electric guitars to create a great uplifting sound. And
The Crow and the Butterfly and
Breaking Inside wouldn’t feel complete without their simple but magnificent guitar solos.
What A Shame, however, is all Brent, and it’s a moving tribute to his deceased uncle. When he exclaims the final chorus after remaining a bit more toned-down for the rest of the song, it gives
45 a good run for its money for the most powerful moment in the group’s discography.
While such moments are less common on the rockers, they are all very enjoyable. They're not as diverse, but they keep up the energy and are consistently entertaining; from the high-speed riffing of
Sin With a Grin and
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide to the excellent mid-tempo groove and insanely catchy lead riff of the title track. The bluesy guitar solos that former guitarist Jason Todd frequently used on
Us and Them aren’t around anymore, but it doesn’t hurt the songs at all, and the guitarwork is still very good on each track, with memorable and fairly technical heavy riffs dominating the rockers. Smith’s vocals remain strong, and the riffs are as catchy as the choruses. The only major issue with the album is that the rockers often feel a bit shallow compared to the sweeping ballads, particularly with the lackluster lyrics of
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide. Otherwise the songwriting far exceeds that of most other recent mainstream rock acts.
It’s obviously meant for a wide audience, but this is the perfect example of how to make accessible music without dumbing it down, and there’s undeniable passion here from the band. Brent Smith’s vocal prowess is the selling point of the band time and time again, and if the band continues to craft songs that allow him to shine, then there is no doubt that they will continue to be successful. Although it seems more than likely that Shinedown will probably continue with this sound on their next album, instead of changing it again like they had been doing, with a sound this good there’s not much that needs fine-tuning at this point. It’s a sound that will continue to be a breath of fresh air in today’s rock scene.
Top Tracks: What a Shame, If You Only Knew, Sin With a Grin, Breaking Inside, Call Me
