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GODSMACK/ GODSMACK (Republic-Universal) ------------------------------------------------------------------ The state of Massachusetts has produced many great things overthe years. There's been Aerosmith: legendary rock band, Cheers (you remember,that bar where they all knew your stupid name!), Boston Bruins Ray Bourque and Bobby Orr: two of the NHLs' greatest defensemen ever, and now it has yielded: GODSMACK. The 12 scorching numbers that make up this, their debut c.d. pull no punches at all when it comes to providing the listener with some of the finest headbanging, fist throwing music he or she will ever hear! Titles like "Stress" "Keep Away" "Time Bomb" and "Get Up , Get Out" suggest the path the band travel down on this c.d. Each song is a powerful stab at your ears with hard crunching riffs, bashing rhythms and lyrics that grab you and shake you up! Godsmack consist of : Robbie on guitar, Tommy on drums, bassist Tony and vocalist Sully Erna. Erna not only sings but produced the c.d. and did all the drum track recording too. He writes six of the twelve songs on his own, and has his hand in all of em, except guitarist Robbies' errie instrumental "Someone In London". There seems to be a heavy influence by bands like: Filter/ Alice In Chains/ and Metallica, you swear at times Sully is James Hetfield like on "Time Bomb"! I even heard a little Queensryche in a guitar part on "Keep Away". Whoever their influences are, Godsmack can definitely be called one of the best new metal acts to arrive in a long time. They write real songs that seem to come from deep inside a pressure cooker and explode out at you through their brutal music! In fact there is really only one mellow song in the bunch: "Voodoo" which is a tribalistic sounding song that at least to me, sounds like someone’s' testimonial about drug addiction and its' never ending hold on you. Since "Godsmack" was only released in October it will take a bit of time for them to establish themselves throughout the world. With a freshman recording this good behind them Godsmack now only needs to land an opening act spot on the right tour (Ozzy are you reading this?) and things should take off nicely for them. In the meantime Godsmack are on the road here in the U.S. playing clubs, so go see them now cause if their live show is anything like their c.d. you will be blown away! Oh yeah, as if you couldn’t tell by now, I am giving this a big 10! © Armando Romero 1998. Reproduction by permission only. used by permission of Vlad Vassiliev Metal Edge Magazine, December 1998 (p.36) Boston has spawned the world-famous likes of Aerosmith and Extreme, and Godsmack may be the next Beantown band to make a musical mark - judging from the metal foursome's excellent self-titled debut, they certainly deserve to. The dozen songs churn with aggression, blending intense, pissed off vocals, a testament to the talents of vocalist Sully Erna (who previously played drums in Stripmine), guitarist Tony Rambola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Tommy Stewart. Tracks like the kickin' single "Whatever," angry and cool "Time Bomb," groove-laden "Immune," and headbanging "Now or Never" were on the band's self-released version of the CD, which sold 15,000 copies in New England before Godsmack (a term for a kind of instant karma from the Man Upstairs and also an Alice in Chains song) was signed by Republic/Universal Records. Managed by former Extreme drummer Paul Geary, the band will be supporting the album on the road. You can find news, audio clips, and updated tour information at their well-designed website, http://www.godsmack.com. Email Godsmack at Cabot-1@prodigy.net or write to P.O Box 1386, Haverhill, MA 01831.
Music Review: Godsmack
Artist: Godsmack Rating: B Despite the precarious honor of being discovered by the drummer of former glam-rock plunderer Extreme, Boston's Godsmack has managed to produce a well-crafted studio effort filled with dark discontent and energy. Their self-titled album was actually recorded in 1996 and independently released for $2,500 before the band's music ever caught on. The disc is full of heavy crawling guitars and lyrics just as low and charged with hope and emotion. Lead singer Sully Erna, a practicing Wiccan, says his alternative religion produces joy and happiness for him, but positively is nowhere to be seen on his CD. Still, the band knows how to create a full sound without clouding it up with guitar distortion or musical flamboyance. The album's first single, "Whatever," is a display characteristic of the faster-paced work on the release. The slower songs tend to grind along, in neo-Metallica fashion. Erna's voice in "Moon Baby" almost seems to echo a menacing James Hetfield, though this band may have much more to prove before it can please the rock masses with blues-influenced hard-edge tunes.
Godsmack - remember the name, because you'll be
hearing it again. It's the title of an Alice in Chains song, but also
the name of a Boston-area band that is ready for prime time. Whenever
they play a show, it immediately sells out through word-of-mouth
popularity. The music is a cross between Metallica, Tool, Aerosmith,
and Alice in Chains, sporting a heavy punch that blends retro hard rock
with an industrial edge.
"I think what makes Godsmack is that we take a lot of little bits
and put them together. We take the aggressiveness of rock and add a
pinch of industrial sounds to it. We think it makes a very cool recipe,"
says singer Sully Erna, whose group has released a self-titled album
that is starting to fly out of stores. It's on Republic Records
(distributed by Universal), which also had success with British rockers
Chumbawamba.
"In the '80s, it was who could play the guitar the fastest. Now,
it's who can come up with the coolest noises," says Erna, whose group
incorporates processed vocals and radio edits into a basic framework of
raw guitar leads, grinding drum grooves, and in-your-face lyrics about
dealing with crumbling relationships.
The music is fiery, gritty, and exceptionally well produced, given
that the album was recorded for just $2,600 at New Alliance Studios in
Boston.
"It goes to show you that you don't need to spend $50,000 for a
producer and $150,000 to do the record. Half the records that are made
for that money don't sound that good anyway," says Erna, who grew up
in Lawrence and loved both Aerosmith and the Sex Pistols as a kid. He
was later part of such area groups as Meliah Rage and Stripmine before
forming Godsmack three years ago. Other members include drummer Tommy
Stewart, guitarist Tony Rambola, and bassist Robbie Merrill. They're
managed by Paul Geary, Extreme's former drummer.
Godsmack has received a big boost from radio station WAAF-FM (107.3),
which has aired such tunes as "Keep Away," "Whatever,"
and "Moon Baby."
The band will play at the album-oriented rock station's Locobazooka
Festival at Worcester's Green Hill Park on Sept. 20 [1998]. Others on
the 20-act bill (tickets are $20) include Candlebox, Powerman 5000,
Brother Cane, and Wide Iris.
Erna knows why Godsmack fans come to see the band. "They want
to get their aggressions out. They're told what to do at home and in
school, but at shows, they don't want to be told what to do,"
he says. "And we respect that."
This article about Godsmack's success appeared in the September 4th, 1998
issue of the Boston Globe.
Go here and you can order Godsmack's
self-titled album directly to your door for under $12!
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