A perfect example is the first time Cyren is heard. With each following song acting as a counterpoint. The message and placement of each one works as the band has envisioned. While these messages on the surface may seem Orwellian, in many ways this is playing out today.

The band has made use of interludes featuring ‘Cyren’ a robotic voice delivering dystopian messages to those that are visiting Planet Zero. While the album seems lengthy at twenty tracks, not all of them are songs. With in your face lyrics like “Speak up, Or they will bleed your courage dry, No they were never on your side, Strike down the golden rule, As if they know what’s best for you, Speak up, Or they will bleed you dry” The band firmly has the cancel culture and our need to think for ourselves firmly in their sights. This song sets thematically sets the tone for the rest of the album. This may be the most aggressive song they have written to date with it having elements of thrash. The lead track “No Sleep Tonight” hits hard. It is with this state of society that this album draws its life from. As the world has shifted from a visceral reality to a digital one, it has also given rise to the cancel culture and group think which has spread like wildfire across social media. Besides offering them plenty of downtime to concentrate, it also provided plenty of material to integrate into Planet Zero.

This was the perfect time for the group to work on new material. With the pandemic in full force and the world locked down. This time, they have dove right in and created their first full fledged concept album. Now, Shinedown has come out with a fresh new album, Planet Zero. On this particular album, Brent Smith and his band of brothers dipped their collective toes into the concept album waters. With Attention Attention they started to depart with what they’ve done in the past.

Shinedown has a strong history of crafting melodic rock albums loaded with hit songs.

All shinedown albums list