Over the last two decades,Shinedownhave cemented their status as one of the most vital and forward-thinking powerhouses in modern rock.Theirmost ambitious and masterfully realized work to date,Planet Zerois a high-concept,ultra-vivid, viscerally chargedsaga. A critical yet optimistic look at the fractures and frays of a society that has undergone many challenges in the last few years, the album is partsocial commentaryand part in-depthexploration of the human psyche. Produced by Shinedown’s Eric B (who also produced the band’s 2018 acclaimed album ATTENTION ATTENTION,)and recorded atB’ newly built Big Animal Studio in South Carolina,Planet Zeromatchesitsimmersiveworld-building and takedown of authoritarianismwithadeliberately unvarnished sound, and the album is spliced with interludesfeaturing Cyren, an insidious and unsettlingrobot character that appears throughout the Planet Zero journey. While a raw ferocity fuels much of Planet Zero on tracks like “The Saints of Violence and Innuendo,” “No Sleep Tonight,” and “America Burning,” there is also hope, triumph, and reminders that we all need one another on songs like “Daylight,” “Dysfunctional You,” and “A Symptom of Being Human.” After all, it is the band’simpioned striving for unitythathas long been at the heart of their creative output and deeply informed the making ofPlanet Zero.Not only a driving force for their songwriting,theirhumanitarianoutlookled Shinedown to be one of the first artists to fundraise for non-profit humanitarian aid organizationDirect Reliefin the early days of the pandemic, raising more than $400,000 with their “Atlas Falls” relief effort.