10 Most Underrated Hard Rock Frontmen

10. Brent Smith - Shinedown

For most of the ‘00s, the era of hard rock’s glory years was falling by the wayside. Instead of the powerful hard rock of something like Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith, the rock scene at the turn of the millennium seemed to be more concerned about the angsty sounds of nu metal and pop punk than any gritty guitar riffs. Just underneath all of the trends, Shinedown were coming to the forefront with a frontman that hit you like a wrecking ball.

Though the band’s initial beginnings started off as a typical take on nu metal and post grunge, later albums like the Sound of Madness really showed them coming into their own. While the riffs were pretty decent by rock standards, Smith’s vocals were the real selling point, as he took every song to its highest level. In lesser hands, songs like “Second Chance” could be seen as lethargic and melodramatic, but the passion in Smith’s voice feels like the song could mean life or death.

Whereas other hard rock bands at the time were more focused on aping the style of their grunge predecessors, the amount of power in Smith’s throat brought the hard rock world back into the arena.