Review: Shinedown – EI8HT

Atlantic Records – May 29^th, 2026

Reviewer – Jason Hopper

Shinedown return to the scene with ‘EI8HT‘, an eighteen-track release that, based on the singles thus far, sounded very promising. Single releases these days are bizarre to my old school sensibilities. ‘Dance Kid Dance’ and ‘Three Six Five’ were released sixteen months ago. ‘Killing Fields’ followed that Summer, and ‘Safe and Sound’, premiered in February of this year. A strange way to hype up an album, but in today’s media landscape, perhaps it’s important to keep the band’s name out there with new music.

While I have burned out a bit on the three singles from last year, I cannot deny how strong the songs are, especially ‘Three Six Five’. Sure, it cribs a lot from Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’, but that chord progression is simply divine. Borrowing from it, adding their own flavor, with lyrics that are heartfelt and impactful, make for a fantastic track and one of my favorites from the band.

‘Safe and Sound’ is classic Shinedown and exactly what I expected to hear from the band. As a longtime fan, there are songs that I love from the band and others that do little for me. Their best tracks are the ones that go for the throat, such as ‘Diamond Eyes’, ‘Cut The Cord’ and ‘Enemies’. Add this song to that list.

So, with three strong tracks leading the way, how does the rest of the album fair? It is dynamic, impressive, and a blast to listen to.

Something I truly appreciate is the band’s ambition. They don’t play it safe and tap into different styles just enough to not change the band fundamentally. It’s still Shinedown, just a bit experimental. Some bands make disastrous albums when those left turns are not handled well, but this band has the talent and ability to make it seem effortless.

The album opens with ‘At The Bottom’, a song that immediately made me think of My Chemical Romance, in particular their song ‘The End’ from their album The Black Parade. Both songs have obvious influences from Queen, with its build-up and theatrical bombast.

‘Dizzy’ is about the rush of adrenaline that love produces and the effect it has on someone.  Terrific lyrics with a very modern pop sound, with its use of programmed drums and violins. I thought it to be a sound reminiscent of The Killers. I sought out my sixteen-year-old daughter’s opinion on the track. She noted it sounded similar to the Taylor Swift track ‘Cruel Summer’.

The band felt so confident about their incorporation of Country and Americana in ‘Searchlight’ that they debuted it at the Grand Ole Opry in October. It went over like a storm and for good reason. Soulful and poignant. Brent Smith remains a phenomenal vocalist who can easily flow through various genres with ease.

They tackle pop industrial synth with ‘Deep End’, another track I would consider to be a favorite.  A dark, down tuned beat with prominent New Wave-type keys make for a fantastic contrast.

The band evokes a family bonding in that my wife, son, and daughter love them and have seen them twice in concert. My son and I saw them a third time as well. We all love the band and I was excited to share this album with them to get some feedback. I asked them to pick one song as a favorite. We all stated different tracks. ‘Three Six Five’, ‘At The Bottom’, ‘Safe and Sound’, and ‘Deep End’ were all mentioned, showing how the band’s versatility reaches people in different ways.

One thing I need to reiterate is that the band never loses their soul. They are not selling out.  They are stretching their wings and reaching for the stars. With eighteen tracks, there’s bound to be standout favorites and songs that are less impactful. While the album has no clunkers, there are a few songs that I will not be revisiting after this review. I do love that the band has fans that love various aspects of their style. My favorites may not be someone else’s and vice versa. With that said, all songs have lyrics that are so impactful, you can’t help but respect the talent on display.

Even with the songs that are not as impactful, you can’t deny the writing skills of main songwriter Brent Smith. The man has a poetic sensibility that is lacking in a lot of today’s artists. Many of America’s popular artists utilize outside song writers/doctors to write “hits” for them. The band, and especially Brent, do it all on their own.

If the album was summed up in one word, it would be daring. The band could have stayed in their modern hard rock lane but chose to take some risks and succeeded. A versatile album that has something for everyone.  Those looking for their old stylings will find them in songs like ‘Machine Gun’ and ‘Burning Down The Disco’, but there’s much more here on offer. The more open you are to the band incorporating new sounds in different genres, the more you will dig this album.

Track list:

1. At The Bottom
2. Dance Kid Dance
3. Burn Down The Disco
4. Three Six Five
5. Young Again
6. Dizzy
7. Imposter
8. Machine Gun
9. Outlaw
10. Safe and Sound
11. Searchlight
12. Bear With Me
13. Deep End
14. Killing Fields
15. Back To The Living
16. Wide Open
17. So Glad That You Asked
18. The Pilot

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