CD Title: The Sound of Madness
Year: 2009
Website: shinedown.com
MySpace: myspace.com/shinedown
Label: Atlantic Records
Featured on: Loucifer Speaks... and wherever else I can post it!
Rating: 9.4 / 10
More Links: Shinedown thread on the Loucifer Speaks forum, Shinedown UK Tour Dates thread on the Loucifer Speaks forum.
My liking of Shinedown has led me to be accused of liking a 'pop group'. While I could launch into a tirade about how any band who are popular could be classed as 'pop' (yes, that does include Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Slipknot, etc) and then we could argue over how 'pop' has evolved into a genre used to describe the likes of Girls Aloud and Busted, I will refrain and simply focus upon what makes this album so bloody great in the first place.
On "The Sound of Madness", Shinehdown have created a selection of songs that are instantly accessible. These tracks can be enjoyed by seasoned Metalheads, like myself, who fancy a bit of a sing-along as well as people who are just discovering the genre. I'm sure they'd like to dip their toes into Shinedown's radio-friendly waters before diving head first into Carcass' or Cannibal Corpse's backcatalog.
Basically, there's no two ways about it - Shinedown rock. But, don't feel like you have to take my word for it - check out tracks like "Cry For Help", "The Sound of Madness", "Devour", "Sin With A Grin" and "Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide" and find out for yourself. Shinedown have also got a couple of ballads on here as well and, while I don't find myself listening to them as much as other tracks here - they are well-crafted songs that have the capability to get stuck in your subconscious.