The Shift (song)

The song was recorded in late 2019 for the band's upcoming untitled ninth studio album due out in 2020.[3] The song was recorded with music producer Howard Benson, who the band previously worked with on their album Feeding the Wolves.[4] The song was the product of very challenging recording sessions with Benson, who rejected 75% of the material previously written prior to entering the studio, leaving the band to write and record new material in the studio on the spot with Benson.[4] A lyric video was released at the same time as the single's May 15, 2020 release.[5][4] As of October 2020, the single had peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock.[6]

Lyrically, guitarist Brian Vodinh described the song as being about "the polarization of society and human impact on the earth itself".[7] Additionally, the line "from silence to sirens" was commentary on how quickly things become issues in "social media culture".[8] The song makes multiple allusions to humanity being like a virus; the song was written in mid-2019, well before the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was not written specifically about it, though it was released as a single due to its newfound relevance.[4]

The song was written and recorded on a baritone guitar tuned to B tuning, a different set up for the band.[4] Vodinh stated he felt that it gave the song a thicker and heavier guitar sound.[4] Loudwire described it as a "mid-tempo melodic track" with gradual increases in tempo and guitar aggressiveness and grittiness.[7]

Loudwire names it one of the best rock songs of 2020.[9]

10 Years

• Jesse Hasek – vocals
• Brian Vodinh – guitar, drums
• Matt Wantland - guitar

Production

• Howard Benson - production