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It’s about to get… heavy”. ‘ATTENTION ATTENTION’ is a story album, beginning with the protagonist at their lowest point, confronting their demons, before coming out the other side, stronger and full of hope. It’s raw, visceral and deeply personal, the struggles faced are real and ultimately hope triumphs over adversity. It’s also a statement album, the album title and each track (apart from ‘special’) are all in capital letters, the bold album sleeve features a large exclamation point. It’s all about getting your attention and it certainly succeeds. The album opens with ‘THE ENTRANCE’, a short piece of sound effects, no music, the sound of someone entering a room, blocking out any outside noise, taking a deep breath before diving into their journey. Then, ‘DEVIL’ begins, full on pounding drums from the unmistakable Barry Kerch (a drummer hard to ignore) hammer one important fact home; the production from bassist Eric Bass is incredible. Any doubts about Shinedown going down the self-produced route are quickly dispelled. When Smith says “It’s about to get ..heavy” it can mean a few things, heavy lyrically, heavy musically and with Kerch on the top of his game…heavy percussion. Whatever he means, this is the heaviest Shinedown have been in years. Some of the electronic aspects that appeared on ‘Threat To Survival’ are still present, but not as intrusive, or for want of a better word… lightweight. ‘BLACK SOUL’, for instance, begins with a simple keyboard intro, and with what sounds like loops in the background. They hang around throughout the song, but are battered into submission from the pounding drums of Kerch and the humongous riffs from Zach Myers. The guitars are very much front and centre again, which means that the balance on the album is spot on. On tracks like ‘KILL YOUR CONSCIENCE’ and ‘DARKSIDE’, Shinedown perfectly marry the electronic aspects of their sound with the heavier side; lots of audio effects and Kerch earning his keep. They ramp it up a notch on ‘PYRO’ and ‘EVOLVE’; faster, with a thumping sound from Kerch and Bass, and Myers sounds like he is having a blast unleashing punky chords mixed in with some beefy riffs. As mentioned before, this is a personal album, best highlighted by ‘MONSTERS’, when Smith sings, “My monsters are real, and they’re trained to kill”. He seems to be referring to his struggle with substance abuse. I know someone who is an addict, he’s been clean for years now, but wears his patches and buttons on his jacket for everyone to see. He’s not hiding his day-to-day struggle, it’s out there for everyone to see. A bold move, and ‘MONSTERS’ is a bold move from Smith. With Shinedown you know that there will be at least a few uplifting moments. Here, its ‘GET UP’ and ‘special’. A simple piano intro on the former soon develops into an inspirational anthem-in-the-making. Dealing with struggles with depression, it’s Shinedown and Brent Smith at their upflifting best. The latter, ‘special’, is the only song with it’s name in lower case, and is a short motivational track that is the only “ballad” on the album. With the finishing line in sight, ‘THE HUMAN RADIO’ is arguably the catchiest moment on ‘ATTENTION ATTENTION’; a massive chorus with soaring hooks… impossible to resist. Closing track, ‘BRILLIANT’, is my favourite on the album. Beginning with a soft synth intro, it gives the impression it’s going to end the album on a gentler note… then Myers comes in with the simplest of power chords, and all bets are off. Barry Kerch is name dropped throughout this review for a good reason; the man is a beast behind the kit, and if ‘BRILLIANT’ doesn’t have you air drumming like a loon, then you, my friend, are just no fun at all! ‘ATTENTION ATTENTION’ is a long album, but it works just as well if you listen to it as individual tracks or in one sitting. A modern day rock record that should have something for everyone, especially those that like it heavier. Their strongest record since ‘Sound Of Madness’, and yes, Shinedown can still cut it. Available May 4th. More details here. Review: Dave Band Photo: Jimmy Fontaine ]]>
