Brent Smith recently opened up about Shinedown’s upcoming album ‘EI8HT,’ sharing his thoughts in a video posted on Shinedown’s Instagram page.
The frontman reflected on the emotional experience of listening back to the record. He described how each of the 18 tracks carries its own distinct story while remaining part of a unified body of work.
“I haven’t had a chance to listen to it entirely, not since we mastered it,” Smith said. “We mastered it at the beginning of February of this year. There’s just an enormous amount of emotions that I go through when I listen to each and every song.”
Smith went on to explain how his perspective on the album has shifted since the recording process wrapped up.
“When I think about it, more so now than when we were recording it, I can reflect on it now and realize that there are 18 songs that each one of these songs is a different story,” he continued. “You know, this is a traditional record where they all belong in the same body of work, but I just want people to know that we put everything that we had into this album. Listen, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
‘EI8HT’ marks a significant release for Shinedown, with the band emphasizing the scale and depth of the project ahead of its arrival.
The album arrives at a milestone moment for the band, representing both a creative and personal statement from one of rock’s most enduring acts.
The Moshville Times noted that ‘EI8HT’ is appropriately named as the band’s eighth studio album and their first release since 2022’s Planet Zero, marking a four-year gap between records. The Jacksonville foursome have used that time to craft what they describe as one of the most ambitious projects of their career.
The Indy Review reported that the album is set for release on May 29, 2026, through Atlantic Records. It features a whopping 18 songs — a track count that underscores Smith’s description of the record as a marathon rather than a sprint. The release also follows pre-released material, including last year’s crossover single “Three Six Five,” which helped build anticipation for the full project.
A key figure behind the album’s sound is bassist Eric Bass, who took on a sweeping role in the studio. A recent interview with Smith and guitarist Zach Myers revealed that Bass served as producer, mixer, engineer, and creative force on the record. That level of in-house control helped shape the album’s emotional precision and cohesion.
That same interview also shed light on the themes driving the record. Smith and Myers described ‘EI8HT’ as a new era for the band. The duo emphasized that the album contains no filler and was shaped by real emotional experiences, including grief and loss. They also made a point of noting that no artificial intelligence was used in the creation of the record, reinforcing their commitment to the human element at the heart of the music.
Together, those details paint a picture of a band that approached ‘EI8HT’ with singular focus and intention. They poured four years of life, loss, and craft into a body of work they believe represents the best chapter of their career.
