10 Best Rock Music Album Closers Of The 2000s
3. Call Me - Shinedown (The Sound Of Madness)
In 2008, alternative metal outfit Shinedown released an album with a drastically different sound.
Shifting focus away from more depressing themes, The Sound of Madness instead showcased the band's melodic side and gave a chance for lead singer Brent Smith to really show what he could do.
Smith's vocals are the highlight of the entire band; the guy has an immaculate voice which elevates everything else around him. The songs where his voice is the main focus are spectacular, particularly Call Me, The Sound of Madness' final track.
Call Me is a very simple tune. It's Smith singing over the top of a basic piano line, joined towards the end by a string section. It's not fancy, but it doesn't need to be.
Dealing with a lover who will be there no matter what, Call Me is lent some serious emotional weight by Smith's powerful performance. The lyrics, which verge on poetic, also help add gravitas.
Is it a "rock" song in the traditional sense? No. Could the backing track be recreated in three hours with a Casio keyboard? Yes.
Is it an extremely touching finale to a deeply emotional album? You're damn right.