Planet Zero

Planet Zero is a concept album on which Shinedown ties heavy rock to big hooks, themed around a sense of societal deadlock. Eric Bass produced again, following the previous album, and it was made in his own studio during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at present-day problems such as division, intolerance and the ills of social media, the narration of an AI character named Cyren knits the whole album together as a story. An unvarnished sound with reverb stripped away heightens the urgency of the message. The lead single "Planet Zero" declares the direction with a firm riff, and "Daylight" became a big anthem singing of hope. On songs like "A Symptom of Being Human" and "Dysfunctional You," weight and empathy are bound together. Songs with sharp critical edge line up too, like "The Saints of Violence and Innuendo." The album topped the all-genre Top Album Sales chart, a new record for the band. Binding firm rock with a social perspective, it is an ambitious record.