Shinedown blends musical styles, roots for a special sound

The members of modern rock act Shinedown think melodic hooks and heavy rock riffs need not be mutually exclusive.

The band, scheduled to headline a concert Monday at James Brown Arena, originally formed in 2001 in Jacksonville, Fla. The band initially drew interest from fans of post-grunge acts such as Creed and Nickelback.

Change came with the inclusion of Memphis-bred blues guitarist Zach Myers, who joined the band in 2008 and has played bass and guitar with the band. The group's most recent album, The Sound of Madness , released in July, finds the band developing more structured songs, embracing the big ballad and expanding on its signature style. The stylistic shift has proved successful, providing Shinedown with increased airplay and an ambitious headline tour.

"We've been very surprised," Mr. Myers said during a recent telephone interview. "I mean, the album was very different. You write and write and write and hope for the best, but you can never expect it. This really took us into uncharted territory."

Mr. Myers said he thinks the strength of Shinedown lies not only in the songs but the musicians who play them. He said the members come from different musical backgrounds and have worked long and hard to develop their own distinctive styles. He said it's the sort of ethos that separates musicians from Guys in Bands.

"Guys in Bands, they can only play in their bands," he said with a laugh. "Musicians can play with anyone. That's how we look at this, at Shinedown. We are musicians who get to play with each other."

Mr. Myers said his own experience with the band illustrates the principle. Growing up in Memphis, he cut his teeth on rock and soul and, most significantly, the blues. When he took over lead guitar duties in Shinedown, he wasn't asked to turn his back on his roots. Rather, he was expected to incorporate them into the music. He said the solo on a song called The Crow & the Butterfly , which is built off a blues progression, is a perfect example.

"Where I come from, learning the diversity of every kind of music is important," he said. "You can't discriminate against any kind of music. Fortunately, I play with people that feel the same way."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.