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Feature

SHINEDOWN AMARYLLIS

Description

Re-teaming with The Sound of Madness producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Kid Rock) Shinedown presents its fourth full-length album - the bruising, unapologetic, and totally kinetic Amaryllis.

Amaryllis, with unflinchingly honest, unrepentant songs like first single "Bully" and "I'm Not All Right, " as well as the deeply moving "Miracle" and the soulful love song "I'll Follow You, " delivers on its mission statement throughout its 12 tracks. From a thematic standpoint, Amaryllis is a record about vulnerability. It reveals the bruises and scars, but also their healing. "It's not a record for the faint of heart, " Smith admits. "Every single song makes a statement. I was looking for the kind of emotion that made every hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Because of that, I feel in my heart and soul that this album is a game changer for our band."

Six songs on Amaryllis feature a 30-piece orchestra, including "I'm Not All Right" - Shinedown's first-ever song to incorporate horns, which drive home the manic intensity of its subject matter. Another highlight is "Bully, " which finds Smith addressing the tormentor in question in the strongest possible terms. "Amaryllis is probably the most rock and roll album we've ever made, " Smith says. "We've always been a rock band, and I didn't want to lose sight of that. I told everyone the album had to do three things: It had to show sophistication in the songwriting, it had to show musical growth within the band, and I had to push myself to go places lyrically that I had never gone before. "