Shinedown attention attention album cover

What he shoulda wrote was that Shinedown just put out another great album, adding to their string of several great albums. In short, itвЂ™s everything it needed to be to be a Shinedown record, albeit a little overlong and perhaps a little too pleased with itself at times, but plenty enjoyable to warrant more than a few listens.ДЄs long as weвЂ™re giving grades, I give the above review a D. It may not be a perfect record, but thereвЂ™s enough here to get into that will appease any Shinedown fan, and the bandвЂ™s energy is infectious enough to hold your attention. That being said, вЂSpecialвЂ™ does actually utilise some particularly stunning acoustic and string elements, but the self-congratulatory applause at the end of the track feels just a little too much on the nose and comes across somewhat hubristic.ДЄs a whole, Attention Attention is an easy step up from the bandвЂ™s previous effort and offers something that is generally fun and rewarding itвЂ™s nothing revolutionary or ground-breaking, but then it was never going to be. This is first indicated ironically through title track вЂAttention AttentionвЂ™, feeling much more like an underdeveloped addition to the album or even an unused Threat to Survival B-side, while вЂGet UpвЂ™ and вЂSpecialвЂ™ both try their hand at being a little softer compared to the albumвЂ™s heavier style and end up not really achieving anything worthwhile as a result. Unfortunately, while Attention Attention shows once again that Shinedown definitely have a knack for getting your attention, where the album falters shows in what seems a classic case of quantity over quality while the albumвЂ™s 14 tracks (and 50 minute runtime) is certainly generous, it also feels somewhat oversaturated compared to the far brisker 40 minute runtime of Threat to Survival. Taking a more mellow approach, вЂKill Your ConscienceвЂ™ flows back and forth between soft synthesisers and a more energetic, percussion-driven pre-chorus, and generally makes for a nice change of pace, while album closer вЂBrilliantвЂ™ dabbles ever so slightly in вЂSummer of 69вЂ™s classic guitar riff, before leaping into far more recognisable post-grunge Shinedown territory and ending the record on a noteworthy high. At a glance, the band definitely feels reenergised, far more akin to The Sound of MadnessвЂ™ heavier territory and seemingly delivering on their promise: вЂњitвЂ™s about to get heavy.вЂќД¬ontinuing this frame of mind and true to the assured direction of the album, the thunderous and somewhat cinematic вЂEvolveвЂ™ roars triumphantly and embraces the signature Shinedown hard rock delivery, while вЂMonstersвЂ™ joins the ranks of SkilletвЂ™s вЂMonsterвЂ™ and Three Days GraceвЂ™s вЂAnimal I Have BecomeвЂ™ with Smith lyrically dehumanising the negative side to human personality. Regarded as something of a concept record by the band, and focusing on the struggles of overcoming personal negativity, Attention AttentionвЂ™s hefty collection of 14 tracks quickly sheds the far safer direction of Threat to Survival, and this is certainly rewarding вЂPyroвЂ™ and вЂBlack SoulвЂ™ both benefit immensely from allowing guitarist Zach Myers a little more room to stretch out and put some really solid riffs on the table, while вЂThe Human RadioвЂ™s huge, Royal Blood-esque bass guitar sees Eric Bass stepping into the limelight a little to an extremely satisfying result.

Indeed, the slick Zach Myers guitar riff and explosive Barry Kerch percussion saw the band returning to exactly the kind of sound that made the likes of вЂDevourвЂ™ so much fun, and with vocalist Brent Smith roaring вЂњcause itвЂ™s about to get heavyвЂќ it certainly appears that ShinedownвЂ™s sixth studio effort is going to be a hell of a ride. Fast-forward a decade, and despite what some have considered a misstep with tamer 2015 effort, Threat to Survival, the Jacksonville hard rockers are still going strong if Attention AttentionвЂ™s вЂDevilвЂ™ is anything to go by.

Mixing hard rock with flavours of heavier post-grunge, The Sound of Madness effectively stands as a near-perfect example of fun and catchy rock music it wasnвЂ™t anything revolutionary, but that was hardly the point вЂ“ youвЂ™re here to have a good time, and Shinedown were pretty damn good at that. ItвЂ™s fair to say that Shinedown are the kind of band where you know exactly what you pay for.

Shinedown attention attention album cover