Shinedown, ‘Threat To Survival’ – Album Review

In the dozen years they’ve been releasing albums, Shinedown have become one of the most popular and successful hard rock bands. All four of their previous studio albums have gone either gold or platinum, and their latest effort, Threat To Survival, appears headed down that same path.

The incredibly catchy lead single “Cut the Cord” has already climbed to No. 1 on the rock singles chart, and there are definitely a few more potential hits in the offing. However, it will be a difficult challenge to top their last two albums Amaryllis (2012) and The Sound of Madness (2008), which each spawned a mind boggling five Top 5 rock singles each.

Album opener “Asking for It” sets the stage. It’s a hook-laden track crafted with atmospherics that help fill it out. It has the vintage Shinedown sound while still moving the band forward. Threat To Survival moves back and forth between harder rock tracks and more accessible pop-influenced songs such as the bouncy “State of My Head.”

The band’s anthemic lyrics are straightforward and seem to strike a chord and resonate with listeners, which creates a strong emotional bond between Shinedown and their fans. “How Did You Love” has those qualities with lyrics such as “No one gets out alive, every day is do or die / The one thing you leave behind / Is how did you love, how did you love?”

Shinedown have a distinctive sound with Brent Smith’s instantly recognizable vocals, but they change things up enough to keep things interesting. “It All Adds Up” has a bit of an edge, while “Oblivion” begins with piano and a gospel feel before kicking into hard rock mode.

“Dangerous” is one of the tracks with a lot of hit potential. It has all the elements of a chart-topper, from memorable riffs to a spiffy guitar solo from Zach Myers and a singalong chorus that quickly embeds itself into your brain.

With Threat To Survival, Shinedown explore a few new musical avenues while not venturing too far off the road that’s brought them so much success.