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When March 2020 heralded the arrival of the first worldwide lockdown, it was as if the world’s largest reset button was pressed. Politicians aside, for a while it did feel like we were all in this together; neighbours helped neighbours, emergency services workers, and essential workers were the new heroes, and there was a sense of community spirit. Didn’t last long though. Each passing month and every new lockdown saw that sense of spirit and all being in it together gradually eroding. Politicians so out of touch with the person on the street that it was (and still is) frightening, and misinformation all played their parts, but the biggest villain in all of this was social media: the bastion of bad taste where having a simple discussion is often won by who can shout the loudest. Respect for each other is a fading memory, compassion for others was something for previous generations, and simply listening to an opposing view is thought of as a sign of weakness. Comparisons to George Orwell’s opus ‘1984’ were made on a daily basis and suddenly “Dystopian” was the go-to word. And it is this state of affairs that forms the basis of ‘Planet Zero’, the seventh studio album from multi-platinum rockers Shinedown.
Press play and ‘2184’ – the first of several interludes (often featuring a John Carpenter influence) – acts as a triumphant intro to the album, it’s short and uplifting in almost a church service-like way (can just see the congregation all rising to this one), take a swig from a bottle of water, and then ‘No Sleep Tonight’ crashes in and water is spat out everywhere in complete shock. Shinedown goes “thrash”? Maybe not, but the machine-gun riffs from Zach Myers (a mix of thrash and punk) are the fastest that he has produced in the fourteen years he has been Shinedown guitarist, and his solo on 01:25 minutes is exhilarating and one of those solos which inspire others to pick up a guitar only to discover it’s not as easy as Myers makes it sound. Vocalist Brent Smith sounds in the form of his life and the fast-paced bridge of “Don’t trip, speak up, no sleep until they hear us…” has him at his very best. It is, however, the stellar partnership of bassist/producer/engineer Eric Bass and Barry Kerch – one of THE most vital drummers in modern rock today – that steals the show (as they also do on the adrenaline-fuelled ‘Army of The Underappreciated’). It sounds like the pair had a total blast putting this one down in Bass’s home studio and this continues into the foot-stomping title track which rattles free all that dental work you recently had. The lyrical content on the title track perfectly sums up the last few years to a tee; “All hail power to the people/except you, you check the box we don’t…like”, the reality hitting home of a world that has not been this divisive in decades, and when Smith offers some advice by stating: “So bite your tongue ’cause it might save your life…” it is eerily true to life.
Shinedown has always had the ability to serve up a platter full of variety, it’s what they excel at, and ‘Planet Zero’ continues this in stunning style. Mixed in alongside the fury of the opening salvo of ‘No Sleep Tonight’ and the title track, are bangers such as ‘Dead Don’t Die’, ‘The Saints Of Violence And Innuendo’, and ‘Army Of The Underappreciated’, more radio-friendly nuggets such as ‘Dysfunctional You’, and experimental moments like ‘America Burning’ which marries together so many different styles that it will make your head spin, although the vocal hooks and sense of melody are quintessential Shinedown. No modern Rock act writes gut-wrenching, easy-to-identify-with material like Shinedown does, ‘Bully’ from ‘Amaryllis’ hit home to many, and here ‘A Symptom Of Being Human’ will do exactly the same. With mental health so important today, especially that of teenagers growing up in the era of social media judgment, this one will strike a chord time after time, as will the majestical ‘Hope’ which features the killer line “Afternoon tea with the impending doom/Counting the elephants here in this room…” and musically could have been a bonus track on 2008’s ‘Sound Of Madness’ album. ‘Daylight’ is the tour-de-force on ‘Planet Zero’ that sinks its hooks in the most: “I was diagnosed with a fear of getting too close/Had to tell the ones I love, I was on the ropes/ I’m not the only one whose life’s been pulled apart/Spending one year and three months in the dark”, Smith’s call-to-arms is powerful enough to stop a rampaging rhino, lyrics most can identify with, an uplifting piano sound from Eric Bass, and vocals that simply soar; expect this one to play a major role in all future Shinedown shows.
Ending on the whimsical ‘What You Wanted’ which meshes up ‘Sgt. Peppers’-like music with darker lyrics that pack multiple meanings, ‘Planet Zero’ is arguably Shinedown’s finest moment since 2008’s ‘Sound Of Madness’, it is certainly their boldest. As the world continues to spin from one what-the-fuck moment to another (SCOTUS recreating ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ in 2022 for one, the UK government doing their best to outlaw the legal right to protest, as well as Boris Johnson allegedly getting a BJ in his office and then forcing the press to suppress the news, would be another few examples) the dystopian future that Shinedown warns about is already here. Who knows, but maybe what we need is for a 2022 version of Don Quixote to put in an appearance, but let’s be honest, for many democracy is only real as long as they like the outcome, so ‘Planet Zero’ will continue at pace, but as Brent Smith suggests on ‘Hope’ – “Hope’s not a four-letter word”.
Available now on Atlantic Records, more information here.
Review – Dave
Photo credits – Jimmy Fontaine
‘Planet Zero’ Tour UK & EU leg
November 7 – Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique # ~
November 8 – Paris, France @ Bataclan # ~
November 10 – Cologne, Germany @ Palladium # ~
November 12 – Berlin, Germany @ Columbiahalle # ~
November 15 – Offenbach, Germany @ Stadthalle # ~
November 16 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Halle 622 # ~
November 18 – Milan, Italy @ Lorenzini District # ~
November 19 – Munich, Germany @ Zenith # ~
November 21 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Forum Carlin # ~
November 22 – Warsaw, Poland @ Expo XXI # ~
November 26 – Cardiff, Wales @ Motorpoint Arena # ~
November 27 – Manchester, England @ O2 Apollo # ~
November 29 – Nottingham, England @ Motorpoint Arena # ~
November 30 – Glasgow, Scotland @ O2 Academy # ~
December 1 – London, England @ OVO Arena Wembley # ~
December 4 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega ~
December 6 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene ~
December 7 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Annexet ~
December 9 – Helsinki, Finland @ Black Box, Ice Hall ~
