Godsmack - Godsmack

In a post-Seattle Sound rock world, there's still a hunger for music that's dark, dirgelike, and heavy. And the void left by Soundgarden and company is being filled by a spate of bands, including Boston's Godsmack, who even nicked their name from an Alice in Chains song. Like Creed and Days of the New, Godsmack are raging and disenfranchised, as singer Sully Erna's lyrics illustrate: "I am in a living hell / Makes me wonder if I'm alive" or "You're pathetic in your own way / I don't like you anyway." Though the territory being mined isn't new, Godsmack's grungy grooves, potent energy, and strong hooks are irresistible. With a dash of Tool and a smattering of Filter seeping through, Godsmack are on the money, especially on "Whatever," the tantalizing "Get Up, Get Out!," and the strident and syncopated "Bad Religion," on which Erna puts one in mind of James Hetfield. While Godsmack's approach may not be fresh, the foursome's strong songs and powerful energy are still intensely tasty--especially for those with a taste for songs on the sober--but never staid--side. --Katherine Turman Amazon.com

The potential for a great debut muddled down by repetition of unoriginality...

I'll say first and foremost that I like Godsmack as a band. I think that they are talented and no one can deny the fact that frontman Sully Erna has probably the greatest `rock' voice since Metalica's very own James Hetfield. That said, Godsmack has a problem with originality, in that they seem to regurgitate the same song over and over again without ever really creating something new or exciting. This problem is evident even on their debut disc, but it becomes increasingly more evident on their preceding releases.

The band got off to a brilliant start with the rock anthem `Whatever', a track that is immortalized in the rock world. Despite whatever you may think of Godsmack as a whole I don't think you can justify not relishing in the heavy-metal goodness that is `Whatever'. The track is strong, confident and brash; just the way we like it. In fact, there are a handful of tracks that resemble `Whatever' in intensity without crossing the line of blatant mimicry. The opening `Moon Baby' is one of them; a track that stands out on its own merits and becomes an instant highlight. I often refer to `Moon Baby' as a true rock love song. It's not fluffy and sweet and charming; it's dark and mysterious and strangely romantic.

`Time Bomb' is a perfect example of the direction this band could have gone. The track sounds nothing like anything else on the album and proves that the band could be diverse if they really tried. Sully's voice is perfection here; that growl is magic, literally (the man is a warlock; we all know that now). I love the lyrics to this song; they just pierce right through me. Another track that does it for me in a big way is `Immune'. The song is simple enough but that hook just grabs me and holds on tight, and I just love the way the song breaks down in the end. `Bad Religion' is a decent track as well, but it seems a little too generic for me to really appreciate it as much as some do.

I absolutely adore `Someone in London'. The track is pure bliss for me. Sure, it's simple but it's eerie (the children's laughter sends chills down my spine) and dark and mysterious and I just fall in love with it every time. I think I prefer `Vampires' off their sophomore album to this one, but both are prime examples of how instrumental tracks can still carry ample amounts of creative weight. `Voodoo' is a fan favorite and rightfully so. The track has such an eerie tribal vibe that permeates and adds layers to the albums direction. Sully sounds possessed in parts and that just works beautifully, especially during the verses.

`Keep Away' is one of the most entrancing songs on the album, a track that will grab you immediately and wrap you up in its mood; but I can't praise this track because it starts what I like to refer to as the `chain of mediocrity'. It is the strongest link in the chain, that is for sure (and I do really enjoy this song) but it's what starts the chain so it must be condemned. It appears at this point that Sully couldn't think of enough original or inspired lyrics and so he rested back on chanting phrases like `Stay Away' or `Keep Away' or `Get Away' over and over hoping no one would notice. Just listen to the mess that is `Get Up, Get Out' where he regurgitates `Go Away; Get Up; Get Out' over and over. `Stress' follows the same generic formula, muttering `Get Away' yet again.

I know that `Whatever' plays a part in this as well (`Better ______ go away') but I can't harp on the brilliance that is `Whatever'.

The problems I have with `Now or Never' and `Situation' as well as `Bad Religion' to a degree is that they just sound the same. All three are very uninspired and monotonous tracks that leave no impact whatsoever on the listener. I wish that they had some spark but they don't. It's sad because you can tell when listening to tracks like `Moon Baby' and `Time Bomb' that Godsmack has the abilities to create something memorable and engrossing, but they fail to keep that pace throughout the album.

If they had maybe ditched half the album, keeping `Moon Baby', `Whatever', Time Bomb', `Immune', `Someone in London', `Voodoo' and even `Keep Away' and then working to create another two or three strong tracks they could have served up a five star debut; but I can't give them any more than three stars for resorting to mediocrity in order to fill a longer track listing. May 27, 2008

A strong dubut.

Godsmack is a good band that really doesn't break any new rock and roll ground.
A good band to listen to if your partying and don't want anything too heavy and nasty.
Good songs, good band, good album.
Horrible album cover.
What does she have to do with anything?
That minor complaint aside.
A worthy addition to your collection. May 23, 2008

You're all direlects.

Ridiculous reviews flooding poor amazons bandwidth. Godsmack started out as an AIC cover band, that stated, you can all stop acting like you're too cool for Godsmack because you're stuck dry-humping Nirvana and STP's leg. The album is catchy, well written, and sounds blue-collar. The album was produced with very little money but came out sounding as good as any high budget recording session. The songs are very pacing, melodic, heavy, and apathetic. It's a great CD and if you're mad at someone or feel alienated, the lyrics could be quite soothing to you. Don't put down other music just to seem like you are just too cool to lower yourself to listen to this. They have some similarities with AIC but not enough to matter because this album's one of my favorites of all rock bands and AIC sucks perineum. April 1, 2008

Essential Grunge/Hard Rock

Definitely an essential piece to any grunge/hard rock enthusiast. This album is the start to the godsmack legacy (now four albums long) and is an excellent thumbnail print of all succeeding efforts. One aspect to appreciate about this album is that besides vocals, Sully Erna also composed and recorded all drum tracks before Tommy Stewart came on board. These thumping/groovy tracks together with Merril's bass provide a solid foundation for Tony Rombolla's captivating guitar rythms. Sully's vocals are quite a highlight ranging from low melody to aggressive grunge vocals (This album features his most aggresive vocals in my opinion).
Album Highlights: Moon Baby, Keep Away, Time Bomb, Bad Religion, Situation, Voodoo (amazing percussion)
Personal Favs: the above, Stress and Immune.
July 25, 2007

Godsmack Smiles

I bought this for my girlfriend. She had went to check the mail before I got home. I asked her if she got anything good. She said she didn't. Then, I opened the package, said "Yes you did!" and handed her the CD. She said "Awesome!" and put a big ol' smile on her pretty face! May 21, 2007

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