Considering we in the UK tend to be exposed to everything the US of A has to offer, music-wise, you'd be forgiven for not knowing anything about the rock band, Shinedown. So let's look at the facts - they formed in Florida in 2001, they've been through a few line-up changes since then but have managed to cook up three albums and, wait for it, shift EIGHT MILLION of the things around the globe! Sorry, did we miss something? It certainly seems so.

Perhaps their falling down has been their comparative sound to Black Crowes, Creed (not the heavy stuff) or Nickelback , but if that's your bag of rock then you might fancy the idea of a night in Shinedown's company. Their most recent releases have certainly opened a few people's wallets, Stateside - "Sound of Madness", first issued in 2008 then given a redux treatment a year later, earned them a Top 10 slot on the Billboard chart - in the UK, a desultory #143. As their sound has got comparatively heavier, so have their sales - several singles have been Top 5 in Mainstream charts.

The band are all set to promote album number four, plus recent live DVD/CD document, "Somewhere In The Stratosphere", with a UK tour in 2012 (their first since 2009), starting with London's Roundhouse on 8th Feb and followed by Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. Tickets are on sale from Friday 9am, priced at £14 (£16 for London).