Review Summary: Shinedown sets the standard for mainstream rock, again
Shinedown has always been known for setting the bar for the other mainstream rock bands. This album without a doubt blows away the competition. From beginning to end, this is pure art and shows a display of perfection that cannot be duplicated.
The album opens with Devour, but is sadly one of the worst songs on this record. I know, I know, you guys want to throw tomatoes at me, but it's true. It's too poppy for a band like Shinedown and has rather unpleasant, if not, abysmal, lyrics. This track is too repetitive and even the riffs aren't even that catchy. Devour is a song that makes this record fall flat on it's face, but it gets right back up with Sound Of Madness, a true masterpiece both lyrically and soundwise. Loudwire even credits this track as their #2 best song (runner up to 45)
Second Chance steers the album in a different direction, but in a good way. Talking about how "sometimes goodbye is a second chance", this track hit record books Day One. So three tracks down and this is the perfect album. Then things go bad. Cry For Help, though soundwise, is a good song, suffers the same fate as Devour, as this track is utter nonsense and extremely boring. And just like before, the next song saves the album, but this time, not by a long shot.
The Crow And The Butterfly is not terrible by any means, but it's not as good as Shinedown fans say it is. Now I'm not comparing this to some of their classics, because I judge things as they are. I don't say the original was the best since it was released first, because a remake can be better, but on the note of Crow And Butterfly, the lyrics are actually quite average. For a band that's been known for their classics like 45 and Save Me, this song doesn't offer really anything.
If You Only Knew does better, by far. This song actually has something to offer and gives us some memorable lyrics like "It's 4:03/And I can't sleep/Without you next to me/I toss and turn like the sea". Now, things get bad, again. Sin With A Grin is by far the worst track the band has ever released. The riffs lack consistency and the lyrics are far more repetitive than the kick off track, Devour.
However, the next track What A Shame is not only a catchy song, but is actually the best behind Sound Of Madness. It's extremely relatable and it truly shows us how people can be such hypocrites by judging others lives. Take the first line of the chorus "What a shame/What a shame/To judge a life that you can't change". That's all you need to know. Record books, hands down. Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide is not great, just like SWAG (Sin With A Grin), but it actually offers something. Breaking Inside, though not great, is incredibly underrated. Many judge based on the sound, but that's not issue. This track clearly states that we've made mistakes, but we won't live day by day making them all the time. We will change. Now for the final track, Call Me, Shnedown's best album closer. It's a very dark song and this track was the birth of the modern Shinedown tradition wher the last track is not rock.
The Sound Of Madness, though flawed at times, is a perfect record.
