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Album Details
- Artist: Godsmack
- Album: Godsmack
- Label: Universal/Republic
- Year of Release: 1998
- ME Rating: Indie Classic
- Reviewed by: gwhill on 2013-02-05
RecommendArguably, when it came out this album was one of the best hard rock/metallic albums of the last couple years. The songs are all very strong, without exception. The bands sound leans toward but transcends that of Alice In Chains by coming across a bit angrier. There are definitely elements of heavy metal, punk rock and alternative rock in the mix, but it really falls into none of those directly. It’s hard rocking and exceptionally tasty. The production and arrangements feature lots of little nuances (sound bites between tracks, unusual instrumentation deep in the mix) that really elevate this work nearly into the arena of fine art. The use of vulgar language on some of the tracks might not appeal to everyone, but for fans of harder edged music, this one is very close to a "must have" release.
Godsmack (Sully Erna: vocals, Tony Renbola: guitar, Robbie Merrill: bass, and Tommy Stewart: drums) are a Boston based band who originally recorded this album as a self-released CD on $2,500. After being picked up by Republic/Universal Records, the disc quickly went gold. The band went onto a level of stardom that’s not achieved by many bands, but this was the disc that started it all.
One of the highlights of the set is the third song, “Keep Away.” An angry one (as most of the music on the disc is), the texture here has an almost buzz-saw feel at times, and a tasteful, yet crunchy melody. This really has a very addictive groove. “Stress” is one of the more punk-like numbers. It seems almost a bit like the punkier Metallica cuts. Not completely straightforward, it features a nicely odd spoken-word segment and another weird segment that feels almost like a modern Doors piece.
Lest one get the impression that the whole album is hard rocking with nothing to serve as mellow contrast, there are a couple more sedate tunes. “Now or Never” is a more sedate song that still rocks. It has a considerably catchy hook and exciting rhythmic patterns. Of course, the breakout tune “Voodoo” is another of those mellower pieces. It is a considerably catchy song with an almost tribal rhythm to it. It does have that Alice In Chains sort of feel also, and is quite a strong, less rough-edged number.
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Tell us why this album is great or sucks ass, or correct the reviewer. If you write enough quality reviews you may find yourself on the editorial staff.
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Log In or Register to Rate Albumson 2013-04-07 SolitaryMan Said:
Vaulting this is...well, it seems ridiculous to me, but to each their own. I remember picking this album up when Godsmack were making waves with their first two singles, "Keep Away" and the much, much better "Voodoo". What I remember taking away from the record is that, besides those two songs, the rest of the record really didn't do much for me. Uninspired, generic, etc.
Every album to come would pretty much hinge on its singles, and that is ultimately what Godsmack are all about; a few hits, a whole lot of unmentioned misses.
Rating: 6/10
