Classy modern American hard rock.

Follow up to 2009’s ‘The Sound of Madness’, ‘Amaryllis’ seeks to build on that album’s mega success in the US, by bringing the party to the UK. Atlantic has willingly stepped aside and let Roadrunner do all the leg work for the band over here, after they made a right royal cock up promoting ‘The Sound Of Madness’ (SOM), including botched release dates and minimal support to promote the band.

As far as the music’s concerned this pretty much continues where SOM left off with the theory if it ain’t broke don’t fix it clearly the band’s motto. Rob Cavallo, the newly appointed head of Warner Music, again produces and there’s the usual mix of in your face melodic hard rock and mid paced radio friendly fare greatly embellished by singer Brent Smith’s exceptional vocals and meaningful lyrics. If anything this is a more cohesive release than its predecessor with the band finding the comfort zone that they have strived to achieve for so long.

Smith, perhaps due to the battle that he has finally won with his addictions, sings with more control and power on the more aggressive chest beating tunes like ‘My Name (Wearing Me Out)’, ‘Adrenaline’ or the pulse pounding ‘Enemies’ and whilst these songs will become the live standards and UK rock TV jewels, it’s the more emotive songs such as the title track, ‘Miracle’ a song written by Smith about his son and the atmospheric ‘Through The Ghost’ that again hold the key to success particularly in their home country. ‘The Sound of Madness’ got the ball rolling in the UK for Shinedown and judging by the sell-out concerts already evident on the current tour even prior to the release of ‘Amaryllis’ the band are about to explode in the UK.

If your penchant is for classy modern American hard rock then nobody does it better than Shinedown particularly on ‘Amaryllis.’

Mike Newdeck