Released by: Atlantic Records
Release Date: July 1st, 2022
Genre: Rock
Links: https://www.shinedown.com/
Line Up:
Brent Smith
Barry Kerch
Zach Myers
Eric Bass
Tracklist:
2184
No Sleep Tonight
Planet Zero
Welcome
Dysfunctional You
Dead Don’t Die
Standardized Experiences
America Burning
Do Not Panic
A Symptom Of Being Human
Hope
A More Utopian Future
Clueless And Dramatic
Sure Is Fun
Daylight
This Is A Warning
The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo
Army Of The Underappreciated
Delete
What You Wanted
Shinedown has been on quite a roll since they reinvented themselves with their “Threat to Survival” release. After catching the guys up close and personal at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville a few months ago and having experienced a few songs like “Planet Zero” in person, it was clear that the band was eager to put on some more new music for their fans. Akin to keep delivering their high power and moving music to the masses, the guys release their highly anticipated 7th studio album aptly titled “Planet Zero”.
An album that encompasses Shinedown’s even more creative evolution as it tackles humanity’s self-conformity and lets us into the things that seem to be all around us.
The first tune that stands out here is “No Sleep Tonight” as its frenetic pace almost sounds like a heavy power metal song, believe it or not, it works out well. The next one hits you hard with a more traditional Shinedown cut in the album title track “Planet Zero”. The chorus in this one is catchy enough to make it one of the standout tracks on the record.
“Dead Don’t Die” is a great Shinedown tune, with great drive, and nice vocals by Brent as usual. The guitars are razor-sharp and the drums are tight, this tune can be on any Shinedown record, which is what you come to expect from the boys. The transition tune “Standardized Experiences” sounds like a Stranger Things theme song, weird futuristic vibe with this one. How do you translate current world topics into modern-day Rock music? We put it all into songs like “America Burning”, haunting lyrics where Brent screams “Is This Apocalypse Now. Who let the animals out?”? Nice driving tune, chunky bass provided by Mr. Eric Bass.The Punk vibes continue via “Clueless and Dramatic”, with Brent Smith hitting some stippled vocal stylings. The song “Daylight” has a very harmonious chorus and a pretty cool uplifting vibe to it. Leave it up to the guys to always provide a positive message in their songs, optimism, and positivity; something they always showcase in their live shows.
The marching tunes on “Planet Zero” make the record flow nicely, and while I don’t believe it’s their best overall record, Shinedown does continue their evolution and manage to keep adding meaningful tunes to their already strong catalog of music. The production is always first rate, and is just plain great to see and hear new music from the group after the tough waters that most have battled during the pandemic.
Written by: Shadow Editor
Rating 7/10
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