June 24, 2023, marks the 15th anniversary of the release of Shinedown’s third studio album, The Sound of Madness.
The album was a critical and commercial success. It spawned six Top 10 singles: “Devour,” “Sound of Madness,” “Second Chance,” “If You Only Knew,” “The Crow & the Butterfly,” and “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom).”
Each one topped the Billboard Rock Charts. “Second Chance” had crossover success peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Sound of Madness was a breakthrough album for Shinedown, establishing them as one of the leading hard rock bands of the 2000s. The album’s dark and anthemic sound resonated with fans while its lyrics explored themes of personal struggle, redemption, and hope.
The album has been Shinedown’s best-selling to date, staying on the Billboard 200 charts for 120 consecutive weeks. It has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.
The Sound of Madness was Shinedown’s first album to be released on vinyl. If you were lucky enough to get a first pressing (limited to 600 copies), it came on a clear-colored platter. It also featured blackbirds in flight across its surface.
There have since been other variations and pressing of the album including white vinyl, gold vinyl (boxset), clear, rainbow splattered vinyl (Wal-Mart exclusive).
More recently, they released a limited-edition, crystal-clear vinyl pressing of The Sound of Madness. It celebrated the 75th anniversary of Atlantic Records (Shinedown’s Label).
There was a deluxe reissue of the album released in 2010 featuring 9 bonus tracks. It included “Energy”, “Son of Sam”, “Junkies for Fame” and an acoustic version of “Second Chance.”
Also, the album featured a great duetted version of “Breaking Inside” featuring Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and “Her Name is Alice.” Tim Burton also used it in the film Alice in Wonderland, which featured Johnny Depp as the star.
The Sound of Madness was a transitional period for Shinedown as they welcomed for the first time, Eric Bass on Bass, and Philly’s own Nick Perri of Silvertide on lead guitar.
Zach Myers was also a touring member of the Shinedown before becoming their full-time rhythm guitarist. However, Perri ended up leaving the band in the middle of The Sound of Madness touring cycle. Instead, he pursued other projects, leaving Zach as the primary guitarist.
WILD that ‘The Sound of Madness’ turns 15 this Saturday! In celebration of this big milestone, we are revisiting some of our favorites including “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom Lay Boom)” now available in 4K. Watch now on @YouTube https://t.co/F7qpN0XLpO #throwbackthursday pic.twitter.com/zTdcIvrDYL
— SHINEDOWN (@Shinedown) June 22, 2023
The Sound of Madness featured key characteristics that made it such a successful album:
The album’s strong singles: “Devour,” “Sound of Madness,” “Second Chance,” and “If You Only Knew” were all massive hits on rock radio, and they helped to introduce Shinedown to a wider audience.
The album’s dark and anthemic sound: The Sound of Madness is a dark album. However, it’s also full of hope. The songs are anthemic and sing-alongable, and they resonate with fans, like me, who are/were going through tough times.
Also, even the album’s non-single tracks like “Call Me”, “Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide,” and “Sin with a Grin” are all favorites of Shinedown Nation.
I saw Shinedown a ton of times on The Sound of Madness tour, including at the Electric Factory & Festival Pier here in Philly and the House of Blues at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, among others.
You can also see Shinedown this September at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ part of the MMRBQ 2023! Shinedown joins rock icon Billy Idol, Dirty Honey, Larkin Poe, Ayron Jones, and many more on Saturday, September 16. Tickets are on sale now.
Lastly, happy 15th Anniversary to one of my ALL-TIME favorite albums, The Sound of Madness!! If you get a chance this weekend, listen to this masterpiece from cover to cover, and crank it up! Try to find the deluxe edition with the bonus tracks. It’s undeniably worth the spin.