Un saluto a tutti, mi scuso subito se per il mio esordio come recensore scelgo un cd di cui si è gia parlato, ovvero "The Sound Of Madness" degli Shinedown, ma reputo, senza voler offendere nessuno, che la rece già presente sia un pò troppo scarna e povera d'informazioni; non rende giustizia a questo che considero essere un grandissimo album. Ma procediamo subito all'ascolto del disco.
I cinque di Jacksonville partono subito forte con la canzone più pesante del lotto, il singolo "Devour", di cui sono da segnalare l'interessante sottofondo a mò di marcia militare realizzato da batteria e tastiera ed il cantato heavy di un inedito Brent Smith in versione David Drainman dei Disturbed; potente ed adrenalinica. Il ritmo non scende con la title track "The Sound Of Madness", grazie soprattutto ai buoni riff di chitarra ed al ritornello anthem (inaspettato dagli Shinedown, ma proprio per questo interessante) "I've created the sound of madness / wrote the book of pain / somehow I'm still here / to explain..
Dopo due ottime canzoni hard rock (è già stato fatto il paragone con alcuni brani di "Metallica", effettivamente lo stile è quello) gli Shinedown piazzano la prima ballata dell'album, ed è ancora pollice in alto: "Second Chance", questo è il titolo della canzone, è una ballad intensa e poetica, forse anche con valore personale per il singer, in quanto tratta dei rapporti conflittuali all'interno di una famiglia, problemi a cui non è stato estraneo. Il sound torna heavy con "Cry For Help", buona ma meno riuscita delle opener, ma poco importa: serve solo come brano di passaggio per due canzoni che sono altrettanti piccoli capolavori: "The Crow And The Butterfly", canzone che circolava già nei live antecedenti a questo album, un epicissima ballad magistralmente interpretata da Smith e accompagnata da un bel sottofondo orchestrale di violini, e "If You Only Knew", prima vera e propria love song della band, sicuramente riuscita; il coro, molto romantico, sarebbe un delitto non proporlo in radio in veste di prossima hit: "it's 4:03 and I can't sleep / without you next to me I toss and turn like the sea / if i drown tonight bring me back to life / breath your breath in me, the only thing that i still believe in is you / if you only knew".
La seconda parte dell'album è forse meno riuscita della prima: ad aumentare la lista di Hard Rock songs ci sono "Sin With A Grin", niente di male ma un pò troppo "Load" dei Metallica e "Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide", la canzone più veloce della loro discografia, carina, un pò punkeggiante; gli ultimi due brani dell'album sono un flop totale ed un altro piccolo capalavoro: se "Braking Inside" pare (purtroppo, molto purtroppo) una b-side di "All The Right Reasons" dei Nickelback, la conclusiva "Call Me" è un altra bellissima perla dell'album, con il cantato caldo e profondo di Smith accompagnato dal pianoforte; probabilmente un futuro classico della band.
Tirando le conclusioni questo terzo lavoro è, a mio avviso, anche il migliore degli Shinedown, in quanto riescono a mescolare ed accentuare come Dio comanda il loro lato hard rock con quello più soft, cosa che non erano riusciti a fare con i precedenti lavori "Leave A Whisper", giudicato stroppo pesante, e "Us And Them", l'esatto opposto.
4.5/5, buon ascolto.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Devour (03:49)
Take it and take it and take it and take it and take it all
Take it and take it and take it until you take us all
Smash it and crash it and thrash it and trash it; they're only toys
Try as you like it, don't hide it, don't fight it, just let it out
Steal it and shoot it and kill it or take another route
Take it and take it and take it; you know they're only toys
Devour, devour
Suffocate your own empire
Devour, devour
It's your final hour
Devour, devour
Stolen like a foreign soul
Devour, devour
What a way to go
You want it, you want it, you want it, you want it, well here it is
Everything, everything, everything isn't so primitive
Take it and take it and take it and take it and take it all
Nobody, nobody wants to feel like this
Nobody, nobody wants to live like this
Nobody, nobody wants a war like this
Devour, devour
Suffocate your own empire
Devour, devour
It's your final hour
Devour, devour
Stolen like a foreign soul
Devour, devour
What a way to go
What a way to go
Diving down
Round and round
Diving down
Round and round
Devour, devour
Suffocate your own empire
Devour, devour
It's your final hour
Devour, devour
Stolen like a foreign soul
Devour, devour
What a way to go
Devour, devour
Suffocate your own empire
Devour, devour
It's your final hour
Devour, devour
Stolen like a foreign soul
Devour, devour
What a way to go
What a way to go
03 Second Chance (03:40)
My eyes are open wide
By the way I made it through the day
I watch the world outside
By the way I'm leaving out today
I just saw Halley's Comet shooting
Said "why you always running in place?"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere
[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today
I just saw Halley's Comet shooting
Said "why you always running in place?"
Even the man in the moon disappeared
Somewhere in the stratosphere
[Chorus]
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Here is my chance
This is my chance
Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance [x3]
05 The Crow & the Butterfly (04:13)
I painted your room at Midnight,
so I'd know Yesterday was over
I put all your books on the top shelf,
Even the one with the four leaf clover
Man, I'm getting older
I took all your pictures off the wall
and wrapped them in a news paper blanket
I haven't slept in what seems like a century,
and now I can barely breathe
[Chorus]
Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky
When you and I were getting high as outer space,
I never thought you'd slip away
I guess I was just a little too late
Your words still serenade me,
Your lullabies won't let me sleep
I've never heard such a haunting melody.
Oh, it's killing me
You know I can barely breathe
[Chorus]
Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky
When you and I were getting high as outer space,
I never thought you'd slip away
I guess I was just a little too late
Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky
When you and I were getting high as outer space,
I never thought you'd slip away -
Like a crow chasing the Butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky
When you and I were getting high as outer space,
I never thought you'd slip away
I guess I was just a little too late
Just a little too late
06 If You Only Knew (03:46)
If you only knew
I'm hanging by a thread
The web I spin for you
If you only knew
I'd sacrifice my beating
Heart before I lose you
I still hold onto the letters
You returned
I swear I've lived and learned
[Chorus]
It's 4:03 and I can't sleep
Without you next to me I
Toss and turn like the sea
If I drown tonight, bring me
Back to life
Breathe your breath in me
The only thing that I still believe
In is you, if you only knew
If you only knew
How many times I counted
All the words that wen't wrong
If you only knew
How I refuse to let you go,
Even when you're gone
I don't regret any days I
Spent, nights we shared,
Or letters that I sent
[Chorus]
It's 4:03 and I can't sleep
Without you next to me I
Toss and turn like the sea
If I drown tonight, bring me
Back to life
Breathe your breath in me
The only thing that I still believe
In is you, if you only knew
If you only knew
I still hold onto the letters
You returned
You help me live and learn
[Chorus]
It's 4:03 and I can't sleep
Without you next to me I
Toss and turn like the sea
If I drown tonight, bring me
Back to life
Breathe your breath in me
The only thing that I still believe
In is you, believe in is you
I still believe in you
Oh, if you only knew
08 What a Shame (04:18)
Two packs of cigarettes a day
The strongest whiskey Kentucky can make
That's a recipe to put a vagabond
On his hands and knees
I watched it all up close
I knew him more than most
I saw a side of him he never showed
Full of sympathy for a world that wouldn't let him be
That's the man he was
Have you heard enough?
What a shame, what a shame
To judge a life that you can't change
The choir sings, the church bells ring
So won't you give this man his wings?
What a shame to have to beg you to
See we're not all the same, what a shame
There's a hard life for every silver spoon
There's a touch of gray for every shade of blue
That's the way that I see life
If there was nothing wrong then there'd be nothing right
And for this working man
They say could barely stand
There's gotta be a better place to land
Some kind of remedy for a world that wouldn't let him be
That's the man he was
Have you heard enough?
What a shame, what a shame
To judge a life that you can't change
The choir sings, the church bells ring
So won't you give this man his wings?
What a shame to have to beg you to
See we're not all the same, what a shame
God forgive the hands that laid you down
They never knew how
But your broken heart can break the sound
And change the seasons
Now the leaves are falling faster
Happily ever after
You gave me hope through your endeavors
And now you will live forever
What a shame, what a shame
To judge a life that you can't change
The choir sings, the church bells ring
So won't you give this man his wings?
What a shame to have to beg you to
See we're not all the same, what a shame
What a shame, what a shame
'Cause we're not all the same
What a shame, what a shame
'Cause we're not all the same
11 Call Me (03:43)
Wrap me in a bolt of lightning
Send me on my way still smiling
Maybe that's the way I should go
Straight into the mouth of the unknown
Left the spare key on the table
Never really thought I'd be able to say
I merely visit on the weekend
I lost my whole life and a dear friend
I've said it so many times
I would change my ways
No, never mind
God knows I've tried
Call me a sinner, call me a saint
Tell me it's over, I'll still love you the same
Call me your favorite, call me the worst
Tell me it's over, I don't want you to hurt
It's all that I can say, so I'll be on my way
I finally put it all together
But nothing really lasts forever
I had to make a choice that was not mine
I had to say goodbye for the last time
I kept my whole life in suitcase
Never really stayed in one place
Maybe that's the way it should be
You know I've led my life like a gypsy
I've said it so many times
I would change my ways
No, never mind
God knows I've tried
Call me a sinner, call me a saint
Tell me it's over, I'll still love you the same
Call me your favorite, call me the worst
Tell me it's over, I don't want you to hurt
It's all that I can say, so I'll be on my way
I'll always keep you inside
You healed my heart and my life
And you know I tried
Call me a sinner, call me a saint
Tell me it's over, I'll still love you the same
Call me your favorite, call me the worst
Tell me it's over, I don't want you to hurt
It's all that I can say, so I'll be on my way
So I'll be on my way, so I'll be on my way
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