Godsmack (album)

Godsmack
Studio album by Godsmack
Released August 25, 1998
Recorded New Alliance Studios 1997-1998, Boston, Massachusetts
Genre Alternative metal, heavy metal, industrial metal, hard rock, post-grunge[1]
Length 55:05
Label Universal, Republic
Producer Sully Erna
Mudrock
Godsmack chronology
All Wound Up
(1997)		 Godsmack
(1998)		 Awake
(2000)
Singles from Godsmack
  1. "Whatever"
    Released: 1998
  2. "Keep Away"
    Released: 1998
  3. "Bad Religion"
    Released: 1998
  4. "Voodoo"
    Released: 1998
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Hip Online [2]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Godsmack is the eponymous debut album by heavy metal band Godsmack. The album was initially paid for by the band and released as All Wound Up, before the band was signed to Universal/Republic Records. It was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City. It featured a new song called "Someone in London" while the song "Goin' Down" was removed, but later appeared on the band's second major album Awake.

Contents

Reception and sales

After playing the Boston area over the following two years with drummer Joe Darco, the band began to establish themselves a strong reputation of being a good live band. As Godsmack began drawing in bigger audiences into their live shows, their album began to circulate through the streets of Boston and eventually ended up in the hands of a DJ for a radio station in Boston.

The radio station began playing the single "Keep Away" and its success quickly soared the single to the number one spot on the station. After the success of "Keep Away", the band went back into the studio and recorded the song "Whatever" which became the new favorite on the radio station and helped the band to sell thousands of copies of their album per week.

"Whatever" was used in a commercial for one of the final Extreme Championship Wrestling pay-per-view events, Massacre on 34th Street.

Finally, after the demand for their album became too high, Republic-Universal Records stepped in and signed the band to their label in 1998. The band replaced Darco with Stewart and All Wound Up was remastered and released six weeks later as their self-titled debut album Godsmack.

"The first album we had a lifetime to write", Merrill said in an interview with the Sun-Gazette. "Then we toured for two years with the first record, so we basically had to write on the road for the second album. And at the same time we were dealing with becoming rock stars and all that."

According to the RIAA, by December 4, 2001, Godsmack's self-titled album has shipped four million copies in the United States and was certified 4× Platinum, making it Godsmack's most successful album to date.[3]

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Moon Baby"   Erna 4:22
2. "Whatever"   Erna/Rombola 3:24
3. "Keep Away"   Erna 4:49
4. "Time Bomb"   Erna 3:57
5. "Bad Religion"   Erna/Stewart 3:41
6. "Immune"   Erna/Merrill/Rombola 4:52
7. "Someone in London"   Rombola 2:02
8. "Get Up, Get Out!"   Erna 3:27
9. "Now or Never"   Erna 5:03
10. "Stress"   Erna 5:02
11. "Situation"   Erna/Merrill 5:44
12. "Voodoo"   Erna/Merrill 9:04
Total length:
 55:05

Controversy

The album caused controversy due to its profane lyrics without a Parental Advisory Label. After listening to his son's copy of the album, a father in the U.S. complained to Wal-Mart, who sold him the album, that the lyrics were offensive. Wal-Mart and Kmart took the album off the shelves. The band and its record label later added a Parental Advisory sticker to the album, and some stores ordered amended copies of the album. Erna commented on the situation to Rolling Stone magazine, stating, "Our record has been in the marketplace for more than a year now without a parental advisory sticker and this is the one and only complaint…. Stickers and lyrics are by nature subjective…. We have decided to put a sticker on the record". This controversy did not hurt album sales, but according to Erna, helped, stating, "It's almost taunting kids to go out and get the record to see what we're saying on it".

Personnel

Chart positions

Album
Year Chart Peak
position
1999 Heatseekers 2
The Billboard 200[4] 22
2000 Catalog Albums Chart[4] 1
Singles
Year Song Chart Peak
position
1999 "Whatever" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 7
Alternative Songs[5] 19
"Keep Away" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 5
Alternative Songs[5] 31
2000 "Voodoo" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 5
Alternative Songs[5] 6
"Bad Religion" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 8
Alternative Songs[5] 32

Certification

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[6] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[3] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release details

Country Date Label
United States August 25, 1998 Republic/Universal
Japan May 30, 2000 Republic

References

  1. ^ a b Godsmack (album) at Allmusic
  2. ^ Hip Online Review
  3. ^ a b "American album certifications – Godsmack – Godsmack". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Godsmack%22.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  4. ^ a b "Godsmack - Godsmack". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/godsmack/godsmack/321449. 
  5. ^ a b c d "Godsmack Alternative Songs Chart History". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/godsmack/chart-history/277923?f=377&g=Singles. 
  6. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Godsmack – Godsmack". Music Canada. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Godsmack&sa=Godsmack&smt=0. 
Godsmack
Sully Erna · Tony Rombola · Robbie Merrill · Shannon Larkin
Tommy Stewart · Lee Richards · Joe D'arco
Studio albums
Godsmack · Awake · Faceless · IV · The Oracle
Demos and extended plays
Compilations
Videos
Singles
Other songs
"Vampires" · "Sick of Life" · "Goin' Down" · "Hollow" · "Why" · "Bring It On"
Related articles
 Book:Godsmack ·  Category:Godsmack ·  Portal:Heavy metal