Shinedown - ATTENTION ATTENTION

"ATTENTION ATTENTION" is the 6th album by American rock band Shinedown.  I only discovered Shinedown this year. But after listening to most of their back catalogue over the last few months, I became very, very excited about this record coming out. In fact it became my most anticipated release so far this year. So when I left for work yesterday morning I was very excited to see that all the tracks were now appearing on my Apple Music waiting for me to get stuck into them.  Well normally on release day I would listen to an album a few times. But with this album I must have listened to it about 8 times throughout the day and today I have listened to it about another 4.

So you can probably work out where this review is heading.  I have never listened to an album ever so much on release day.  So what makes this album stand out and make it different? Well to put it simply it is an album. It's not a collection of songs, shoved on a record in some random order. The band have clearly sat down, gone through the songs. Created a beginning, middle and an end. And made an album which flows really well and although 14 tracks and 50 minutes long, it feels like time goes past really quickly.

I think that's where the magic of this album comes to life, in that it goes by really quickly. You are never bored. There are so many twists and turns, ups and downs that it really is compulsive listening. Now I am going to go into a slight gripe about the album but its not really a big thing and doesn't ruin the album.  I think they missed a trick not starting the album with title track "Attention Attention".  Just hearing the lyrics "Attention attention" through a tannoy sound at the start of the album I think would be a great way to start this album. But I think the reason for this is because the title track itself although it is deserving of being on the album. It is not that explosive a song. And for me, this album needs that explosive start. Now the actual start what sounds like foot steps before you hear a door creaking open followed before launching into smash hit "Devil".  So it does start with a bang but just not quite the way I thought it should. But as I say, that is really my only gripe. A very small gripe and the album still works the way the have done it.

One of the things that I like about this album is that they didn't front load it like "Threat to Survival" with all the big songs.  They have spread them through the record.  This is a predominitly hard rock record but they really have looked into each song to make them stand out in their unique way. "Darkside" is prime example of this.  For the first few minutes it is pretty heavy sounding song, then all of a sudden out of nowhere it kicks back into this funky wee interlude, before kicking back into heavy mode.  I mention "Darkside" but I could go onto mention every single track on this album.  It is amazing.  As I said, most of the songs are hard rock. But there is a section of softer of songs on the album, just at the right time later on in the album. The tracks I am talking about are "Get up" and "special".  These tracks just remind you how good a singer Brent is and also these tracks are just so good.

The album finishes with a song which sums up the album "Brilliant".  Its an anthemic track and also right at the end you hear the door creaking again and the foot steps walking away followed by someone saying "Until next time".......... Well this album will keep me happy for quite a while in the mean time. Thank you Shinedown. It's your day to be brilliant.....