Shinedown's tour to support the album subsequently started with the band playing a few festival shows before the release of The Sound of Madness. The album's lyrics explore diverse subject matter as opposed to their previous albums 'Devour' explores political and anti-war themes, ' If You Only Knew' is a love ballad about singer Brent Smith’s then-fiancée and son, and 'What a Shame' tells the story about the death of Smith's uncle, and how he and his cousin, professional wrestler Olivia Smith, dealt with it.
It is their first release to feature Eric Bass and Zach Myers, their only release to feature Nick Perri, and the band's only release as a five-piece. The album's lead single, ' Devour', was released to radio on May 5, 2008. The Sound of Madness is the third studio album by American rock band Shinedown, released June 24, 2008. ' Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)'.
