#SHINEDOWN ATTENTION ATTENTION FULL#
#SHINEDOWN ATTENTION ATTENTION PLUS#

This might be an obvious interpretation, whereas in reality it is probably meant to be the protagonist being introspective. Some tracks have obvious targets, for example, Special takes shots at the internet generation seeking their ‘ fifteen minutes of fame’. The advantage of such lyrics is that they are massively open to interpretation and every listener will relate to them slightly differently based on their own experiences.

They are more a collection of tracks about various states of being, mostly focused on mental wellbeing. I would revise the description to ‘loose concept’ as most of the lyrics are sufficiently non-committal that they do not really describe the story of a single individual. It would be a lapse in duty when reviewing an album such as this not to discuss the overall concept/theme itself. Brent Smith shows why he is one of the best singers in modern rock throughout, bringing power and emotion to almost every track. The band really shines on the heavier tracks like Pyro and The Human Radio but also on the slower, more emotional tracks like Monsters and Special. The ‘experimental’ songs on the album maybe? In true Shinedown fashion, both feature memorable lyrics and melodies, but the overall sound won’t be for everyone. However, songs like title track ATTENTION ATTENTION and Kill Your Conscience lean a lot more heavily on the electronic sounds and never really deviate from them. Another example is closing track Brilliant, which features gentle singing over a piano & keyboard backdrop before launching into one of the heaviest songs on the album, and possibly one of the most positive and uplifting songs you’ll hear this year. This works well on songs like Black Soul, where the powerful rock chorus has more impact because it is in sharp contrast to the tinkling keyboard riff of the verse. They are still there but have been more effectively combined with the traditional rock elements. The synthesised elements that made Threat to Survival so divisive are not as prominent on this album.

#SHINEDOWN ATTENTION ATTENTION PLUS#

Is has a fat, heavy rhythm with a riff to match, plus quirky little synthesised choir exclamations inserted between lines of a powerful vocal delivery from Brent Smith (listen to the song and that sentence will make a lot more sense…). Very much in the formula of Cut the Cord (from last album Threat to Survival) this track epitomises the Shinedown that many will know and love. All very suitable for starting in a meaningful yet vague way that makes sense in the music video but, let’s face it, on the album you will listen to it once and from then on instantly skip to track number two: Devil. There is a forty second introductory track called The Entrance on which we hear the sound of a door opening, footsteps and then a heavy sigh, that exhalation of air before a leap into the unknown. But Shinedown have never been one for the traditional and given the experimentation with different sounds on their last album (albeit with mixed success) it will be very interesting to see what they have come up with this time around.įrom the start you can tell that Shinedown are taking this story telling business seriously. Most people will associate concept albums with the more progressive side of the musical establishment: extended track lengths, complicated musical arrangements, songs flowing into one another… Not something you would expect from the writers of four-minute rabble rousers like Sound of Madness or Diamond Eyes. It is described by the band as a cohesive story, designed to be listened to continually from beginning to end as it tells the tale of the protagonist’s ‘ physical, mental, and emotional journey that stretches from life’s lowest lows to life’s highest highs’.

#SHINEDOWN ATTENTION ATTENTION FULL#

With a title like ATTENTION ATTENTION the headlines for the 6 th full length album from Shinedown really do write themselves.

Shinedown attention attention