SHINEDOWN

SHINEDOWN are ready for the next era, and for a band that's been rocking it for as long as they have, they sound as fresh and exciting as ever. The band's latest album, "EI8HT", features the kind of hard rocking music you've come to expect from the band but with their pop sensibility that makes these songs lovable across musical genres.

If you've followed the band at all, you already know the numbers are ridiculous. SHINEDOWN have 23 No. 1s on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and 25 on Mediabase Active Rock. But, "EI8HT" doesn't sound like an album they just phoned in to get another hit. It sounds more like a band trying to constantly outdo itself.

Brent Smith, the band's vocalist, calls the album "over a year in the making," and you can hear that stretch of time on this release. It doesn't sound rushed or thrown together. Lead single "Safe and Sound" starts off with heavy, raging guitars and pounding rhythms, with Smith's instantly recognizable vocals cutting straight through it as he sings about being a master of design and building an illusion out of intention. It doesn't really build slowly. It just hits, loud and sure of itself. There's a kind of controlled explosiveness here that feels deliberate, and it works. What stands out most is how heavy SHINEDOWN can still get. It's easy to forget amid their ballads, but on "Safe and Sound", the band hits with a straight line from riff to chorus and enough grit to keep it from feeling too clean.

However, this isn't just a heavy album. While songs such as "Safe and Sound", "Bear With Me" and "Burning Down the Disco" are loud and strong, SHINEDOWN pull back for plenty of moments.

Those looking for SHINEDOWN's softer side will find it in "Searchlight", an emotive ballad with Smith singing with a yearning quality that only he can do. They also pull things back on "So Glad That You Asked", a track that eases into a swelling, pop-fueled chorus that feels built for big rooms. There's also "Dizzy", which settles into something softer and more familiar, sounding the most like a classic SHINEDOWN ballad. "The Pilot" closes the album, offering another ballad and a soft end to a variety-packed release. It's a soft, steady ending that perfectly wraps the setup.

"EI8HT" doesn't play like a safe, normal-sounding release. It plays like a band that's trying to avoid being comfortable, and that makes for an exciting listen from front to back. So, even with all of their accomplishments, SHINEDOWN aren't really celebrating where they stand today. They're making music for the future.