Fans of the hard rock scene need no introduction to Jacksonville, Florida-based Shinedown. Since the release of its 2003 debut album, the Platinum-selling Leave A Whisper, Shinedown has cemented a place as a leading act in the genre. Songs from the band have been featured in numerous pop culture events, including movie soundtracks (Grind), television shows (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), as an ESPN major league baseball theme, in WWE wrestling events and even in video game soundtracks.
The newly released Shinedown cd The Sound of Madness (June, 2008) includes the hit tracks Devour and Second Chance. Taking Shinedown’s involvement in video gaming from soundtrack to playable content, Devour (along with the previously unreleased Junkies For Fame) were recently offered as downloadable tracks for the immensely popular Rock Band video game, adding the band to an exclusive list of artists who have been selected to appear in the game by Harmonix.
Looking at the success the band has enjoyed, it’s hard to imagine there was ever a doubt that it would break, but in reality it’s been a long, tough road. After forming in 2001 and quickly signing a contract with Atlantic Records, Shinedown’s first CD sold reasonably well but wasn’t an immediate hit. The band received critical praise, but it was a re-release of Leave A Whisper following a well-received cover of Leonard Skynyrd’s Simple Man (dedicated to Dimebag Darrell of Pantera, who was shot to death while performing at a concert in 2004) along with the popular Shinedown concerts, including a stint opening for classic rockers Van Halen in 2004, that finally lifted the album to Gold status. It would continue to sell well, eventually being certified as a Platinum seller, having moved some 2.5 million copies world wide (including over one million in the US alone).
In addition to the first CD, Shinedown videos were helping to cement the band’s reputation. MTV banned 45, helping to add an aura of notoriety to the group and in 2005, a concert DVD called Live From The Inside was released. In addition, Shinedown has been active in reaching out to its fan base through the medium of web video, including posting instructional clips online that instruct aspiring guitarists and bass players on how to play the instrumental parts of their current single Devour.
Shinedown’s sophomore CD, US and Them, was also released in 2005. That CD generated the singles Save Me, Heroes and I Dare You (which was used as an American Idol performance). Save Me, in particular, proved to be very popular on rock charts and US and Them has since reached Gold status.
The Sound of Madness, Shinedown’s third album, is already having a significant impact on the sales charts and the band has been touring extensively in support of it. For more information about the band, including preview tracks, concert news, the band’s blog, merchandise and Shinedown photos, visit the official web site.
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