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Rating: Somewhere In The Stratosphere. It's hidden there, 20 km high, why the rock band Shinedown has never fully convinced Europe. The group formed in Jacksonville, Florida (the same city as the southern masters of the '70s, Lynyrd Skynyrd) after three highly respected albums, including the platinum record in the USA "The Sound Of Madness" from 2008, released in 2011 "Somewhere In The Stratosphere," a double CD/DVD live that assembles the band's best tracks. The first disc was recorded during a live show in Washington, while the second is an acoustic live in Kansas City.
This double CD/DVD anticipates the release of the band's latest effort, "Amaryllis," due in spring 2012.
Returning to the live performance, the leader Brent Smith confirms his excellent vocal skills in most of the tracks, although during the first performance, he will let himself go into a descending crescendo. The opening belongs to the explosive "Sound Of Madness" and "Devour," the latter seasoned with the shy 'screams' of guitarist Zach Myers not present in the original version. The sound is clean, and the rest of the quartet performs without evident flaws but without overdoing it. Describing a double live album, furthermore composed of two performances taking place in different locations and times, might be prolix, but while trying to be as concise as possible, it's hard not to emphasize a track like "Diamond Eyes," a track not found on any of the band's albums, but a key track of the film soundtrack "The Expendables" by S. Stallone. To be clear, the track is as 'muscular' and 'American' as the film in question.
Noteworthy is the cover of "Simple Man" by the aforementioned Lynyrd Skynyrd, really well done and engaging, a tribute to their much more experienced fellow citizens and musicians. Closing with the adrenaline of "Fly From The Inside," one of the tracks closest to the Metal that the band has ever written.
The second CD/DVD recorded in Kansas City sees our heroes performing in a more elegant and calm context, in a theater. One of the most successful tracks is "If You Only Knew" dedicated by Brent Smith to his son and prefaced by him with a long introduction highlighting among many things his detoxification from alcohol abuse.
Among the flamboyant performance of "The Crow & The Butterfly" and the melancholic "45," in this live, the cover included in the setlist is "Times Like These" by Foo Fighters, amusingly sung by the whole band and the convincingly performed piano-rock rendition of "Call Me," the only track ever written by the band based solely on a piano track. The closure belongs again to "Simple Man," a staple presence during the band's performances, and "Second Chance," one of their most famous hits.
Overall, the double live is a kind of overview of what the band has been able to do in recent years. In an increasingly 'plastic' and similar-to-itself rock scene, the performance of Shinedown proves to be satisfying and at the same time open to a very wide audience. The only flaw related to this live is precisely its commercialization, as apart from several US online stores, it is hard to find on the most common portals, and in some cases, priced at prohibitive figures (e.g., €54 on a famous buy/sell site).
We can only wait for a performance as a headliner also in Italy.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Devour (03:56)
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
04 I Dare You (03:43)
Hello, let me introduce you to
The characters in the show
One says yes, one says no. Decide,
which voice in your head you can keep alive
Even in madness, I know you still believe
Paint me on canvas so I become
What you could never be
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
wear my soul and call me a liar
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to
Hello, are you still chasing
The memories in shadows
Some stay young, some grow old. Come alive,
there are thoughts unclear,You can never hide
Even in madness, I know you still believe
Paint me on canvas so I become
What you could never be
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
wear my soul and call me a liar
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to
Hello...
Hello!!!
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
wear my soul and call me a liar
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to
Hello!!!
Hello!!!
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to
06 If You Only Knew (03:48)
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 45 (05:17)
Send away for a priceless gift
One not subtle, one not on the list
Send away for a perfect world
One not simply, so absurd
In these times of doing what you're told
You keep these feelings, no one knows
What ever happened to the young man's heart
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart
And I'm staring down the barrel of a forty-five (forty-five),
Swimming through the ashes of another life (another life)
No real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a forty-five
Send a message to the unborn child
Keep your eyes open for a while
In a box high up on the shelf, left for you, no one else
There's a piece of a puzzle known as life
Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight
What ever happened to the young man's heart
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart
CHORUS
Everyone's pointing their fingers
Always condemning me
And nobody knows what I believe
I believe
CHORUS
And I'm staring down the barrel of a forty-five (forty-five),
(And I'm) Swimming through the ashes of another life (another life)
(There is) No real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a forty-five
09 Burning Bright (03:53)
I feel like there is no need for conversation
Some questions are better left without a reason
And I would rather reveal myself than my situation
Now and then I consider, my hesitation
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning, burning bright
I wonder if the things I did were just to be different
To spare myself of the constant shame of my existence
And I would surely redeem myself in my desperation
Here and now I'll express, my situation
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning bright
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning, burning bright
There's nothing ever wrong
But nothing's ever right
Such a cruel contradiction
I know I cross the lines
It's not easy to define
I'm born to indecision
There's always something new
Some path I'm supposed to choose
With no particular rhyme or reason
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning bright
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning
I feel like there is no need for conversation...
10 Heroes (03:30)
Stare in wonder, who's here to bring you down?
Find your martyr, I'm sure you've made the crown
So light a fire under my bones, so when
I die for you, at least I'll die alone
Ain't nothing for me to end up like this
There's no comparing me this time
All my heroes have now become ghosts
Sold their sorrow to the ones who paid the most
All my heroes are dead and gone
But they're inside of me, they still live on
Dark devotion in a vacant paradise
Shows no emotion to a willing sacrifice
You can put a man on trial, but you can't make the guilty pay
And you can cage an animal, but you can't take away the rage
Ain't nothing for me to end up like this
There's no comparing me this time
All my heroes have now become ghosts
Sold their sorrow to the ones who paid the most
All my heroes are dead and gone
But they're inside of me, they still live on
All my heroes have now become ghosts
Sold their sorrow to the ones who paid the most
All my heroes are dead and gone
But they're inside of me, they still live on
They're all dead and gone
11 The Crow & The Butterfly (04:16)
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
13 Save Me (03:31)
I've got a candle,
And I've got a spoon
I live in a hallway
With no doors and no rooms
Under the window sill
They all were found
A touch of concrete within a doorway
Without a sound
Chorus:
Someone save me if you will
And take away all these pills
And please just save me, if you can
From the blasphemy in my wasteland
How did I get here
And what went wrong
Couldn't handle forgiveness
Now I'm far beyond gone
And I can hardly remember
The look of my own eyes
How could I love this
A life so dishonest
It made me compromise
Chorus
Jump in the water
Jump in with me
Jump on the altar
Lay down with me
My hardest question
To answer is
WHY!!!
Chorus
Some one save me (x3)
Somebody save me
Somebody save me
Please don't erase me
14 Left Out (05:54)
Where's that space of fear you hide?
Have you gone way beyond the center
Out there in space
I know you need to get even
Tell me the one about the hand that holds you down
Because the bruise on your face, it always seems to stay around
And tell me the one about the hand that holds you down
Because you seem to be lost, with no intention to be found
So how does it feel
And how does it feel
To be the one whose always in the way
To be the words that never made the page
Be the one that's always
Left out in the rain
Tell me again about the spark that met the flame
And tell me again about the man who went insane
Is there a place within for redemption
Is there a voice inside with a decision
And if so when, and if so then, where's the conviction
So how does it feel
And how does it feel
CHORUS
I know that you need to get even
And I know it's for all the right reasons
And I, well I know that your staring at the edge
And I, well I know that you need to get even
CHORUS
15 Simple Man (07:35)
Well, Momma told me
When I was young
Said sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say
And if you do this, it'll help you some sunny day
Oh, take your time
Don't live too fast
Troubles will come
And they will pass
You'll find a woman
And you'll find love
And don't forget that there is someone up above
And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can
Forget your lust
For rich man's gold
All that you need now
Is in your soul
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied
And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can
Oh, don't you worry
You'll find yourself
Follow your heart
And nothing else.
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try
All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied
And be a simple kind of man
Be something you love and understand
Baby, be a simple kind of man
Oh, won't you do this for me, son, if you can
16 Fly From the Inside (05:39)
Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders
Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders
On my shoulders
All alone I pierce the chain
And on and on all the sting remains
And dying eyes consume me now
The voice inside screams out loud
I am focused on what I am after
The key to the next open chapter
Cause I found a way to steal the sun from the sky
Long live that day that I decided to fly from the inside
Every day a new deception
Pick your scene and take direction
And on and on I search to connect
But I don't wear a mask and I have no regrets
I am focused on what I am after
The key to the next open chapter
Cause I found a way to steal the sun from the sky
Long live that day that I decided to fly from the inside
I can't escape the pain
I can't control the rage
Sometimes I think that I'm gonna go insane
I'm not against what's right
I'm not for what's wrong
I'm just making my way and I'm gone
Here's the weight of the world on my shoulders
Cause I found a way to steal the sun from the sky
Long live that day that I decided to fly from the inside
That I decided to fly from the inside
That I decided to fly from the inside
17 Second Chance (05:38)
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]
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