For some reason, “Threat to Survival,” the fifth studio album by the American hard-rock outfit SHINEDOWN, released on September 18th, 2015, via Atlantic Records, seems to have become the “Why does no one talk about this” album in their catalog. Yeah, sure, it made quite a departure from the band’s previous sound, what with all the synths and subtle jazz hooks, but, in my opinion, these experimentations also paid off in the band’s favor. Their 2008 album “The Sound of Madness” had proved a massive commercial success with multi-platinum and gold-certified singles like “Second Chance,” “Sound of Madness,” and “Devour,” and it made rock history by having all six of its singles go to #1 on the US rock radio chart. It was a career-defining moment for the band, and they could have opted for churning out albums with its arena-rock template ad infinitum, but I’m glad they chose to do something else with this affair. The thing is, the best songs on this album sound like nothing the band had released before, making this selection feel almost more like a collection of songs than a cohesive unit. Still, even those who felt this effort was nowhere near SHINEDOWN‘s best work considered it to be a solid whiskey-and-cigar rock album upon its release. As a balancing act between the band’s heavier, early sound and their modernized signature sound to come, the album has aged rather well.
The album opens with “Asking For It,” a song that adheres quite nicely to the band’s old hard-rock format – so, no surprises there. The synth weaves nice “Kashmir”-esque ornamentations atop the beefy riffs and, as usual, half the song’s magic relies on vocalist Brent Smith‘s powerhouse delivery. The follow-up track, “Cut the Cord,” continues on a somewhat similar footing – so, with two beefy riffers served upfront, everything still looks rather good. What were all the Negative Nancys raving about?
Okay, “State of My Head,” while portraying resilience and determination in the face of challenges with an anthemic flare, flirts with pop elements, almost recalling TWENTY ONE PILOTS. This may have been the final straw for some. Then again, if you’re singing about not letting adversities weaken your resolve, what better way is there to drive the point home than by doing something this outrageous? I mean “outrageous” in the somewhat mainstream-ish context; this is nowhere near the ingenious reggae-metal mayhem of, say, SKINDRED! Another track that stands out as something yet unheard of from this band is the anthemic ballad, “How Did You Love?” The piano version, released as the B-side of the single, is arguably the best song SHINEDOWN has ever made. Not only packs the stripped-down arrangement of only the piano and Smith‘s powerful vocals way more punch than the full-band version on the album, but it also brings out the poignant message of the lyrics to the forefront so much better – “The one thing you leave behind is how did you love.” The song is, hands down, one of the best encapsulations of how we should make every day count. If the band were ever to play an anniversary show for this album, this song alone would be worth the price of admission.
The song that gets singled out the most as somewhat unbecoming of the band is the FLEETWOOD MAC-esque “Thick As Thieves.” I think it’s a nice breather, sandwiched between the anthemic banger, “Dangerous,” and one of the best riffers of the album, “Black Cadillac.” I guess, if the song were more like “The Chain” rather than “Little Lies,” nobody would have an issue with it. I come from the tradition of listening to albums from start to finish, instead of cherry-picking single tracks from here and there, so I’m okay with the dynamic twists of this sort. Besides, most of the remaining tracks could be filed under big riffers.
So, all things considered, “Threat to Survival” is a pretty good SHINEDOWN affair, whether or not you are a fan. It features ample stadium-sized rock anthems that fall somewhere between dad rock and post-grunge – the band’s familiar oeuvre – but also includes novel elements and subtle experimentation, giving it a somewhat more polished, contemporary edge. Most importantly, all the band’s old fortes are intact: catchy hooks, beefy riffs, strong vocals, and the poignant emotional resonance of the lyrics.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Asking For It
- Cut the Cord
- State of My Head
- Outcast
- How Did You Love?
- It All Adds Up
- Oblivion
- Dangerous
- Thick As Thieves
- Black Cadillac
- Misfits
Lineup
Brent Smith – lead vocals
Barry Kerch – drums, percussion
Eric Bass – bass, backing vocals
Zach Myers – guitars, backing vocals
Label
Atlantic Records
