Awake (Godsmack album)

Awake
Studio album by Godsmack
Released October 31, 2000
Recorded River's Edge Productions Inc., Haverhill, Massachusetts
Genre Heavy metal, alternative metal,
nu metal
Length 45:29
Label Republic/Universal
Producer Sully Erna, Mudrock
Godsmack chronology

Godsmack
(1998)		 Awake
(2000)		 Faceless
(2003)
Singles from Awake
  1. "Awake"
    Released: November 20, 2000
  2. "Bad Magick"
    Released: February 22, 2001
  3. "Greed"
    Released: May 22, 2001
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Entertainment Weekly (C−)[2]
Robert Christgau [3]
Rolling Stone [4]
Q
(6/01, p.106)

Awake is the second studio album by the hard rock/alternative metal band Godsmack, released on October 31, 2000. It features the song "Goin' Down", which first appeared on the band's first studio recording All Wound Up. This was the only Godsmack album to feature drummer Tommy Stewart.

Since the mid-2000s, the songs "Sick of Life" and "Awake" have been extensively used for the United States Navy's "Accelerate Your Life" commercials.[5]

Recording

The band opted to convert a warehouse in Haverhill into a makeshift studio, rather than use a more traditional studio setting. According to Sully Erna, the band just didn't want to move into any luxurious studio, because they wanted to keep the edge on for writing and "not get too far away from what we're all about". So they just stayed in the slums rather than moving into luxury.[6]

Erna says the results show in the music's "tougher" sound, however it has a very raw edge to it. It's not very polished," he says. "But it still has a lot of good grooves, and it still has a lot of power."[6]

The band also kept in touch with its roots by working some older unreleased material. The album includes older songs that just missed being on the debut. "Goin' Down" is a track from the original Godsmack album that was dropped in favor of "Whatever" for the major-label release. The songs "Bad Magick" and the instrumental "Vampires" also date back to the same period.[6]

Release

Awake debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, selling 256,000 copies in its first week,[7] and the album would go on to sell over two million copies in the United States.[8]

Since its release, the album's title track dominated rock radio and broke chart records throughout 2000 and 2001. The album's instrumental track "Vampires" earned the band its first Grammy nomination.[9] "Greed" earned the band Boston Music Awards nominations for single and video of the year.[10]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Sully Erna, except where noted. 

No. TitleMusic Length
1. "Sick of Life"  Erna 3:51
2. "Awake"  Erna 5:04
3. "Greed"  Erna 3:29
4. "Bad Magick"  Erna 4:17
5. "Goin' Down"  Erna, Tony Rombola, Robbie Merrill 3:24
6. "Mistakes"  Erna, Rombola 5:58
7. "Trippin'"  Erna, Rombola 4:56
8. "Forgive Me"  Erna 4:18
9. "Vampires" (instrumental, contains dialogue from television show Mysterious Forces Beyond)Erna, Merrill 3:47
10. "The Journey" (instrumental)Erna, Rombola 0:49
11. "Spiral"  Erna, Rombola 5:36
Total length:
 45:29
Japanese bonus tracks
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
12. "Why"  Erna 3:15
13. "Sweet Leaf" (Black Sabbath cover)Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward 4:55
Total length:
 53:39

Personnel

Godsmack
Additional performances
  • Katrina Chester - vocals on "The Journey" and "Spiral"
Production
  • Produced by Sully Erna and Murdock
  • Engineered by Mudrock, except "Vampires", recorded by Cameron Webb
  • Additional engineering by Nate Dube
  • Mixed by Mudrock, except "Mistakes" and "Goin' Down", mixed by Mudrock and Jay Baumgardner, and "Vampires" and "Bad Magick", mixed by Jay Baumgardner
  • Mastered by Ted Jensen
  • Photography by Clay Patrick McBride and Ian Barrett

Chart positions

Album
Chart (2000) Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart[11] 26
German Albums Chart[12] 59
New Zealand Albums Chart[13] 38
Canadian Albums Chart[7] 9
The Billboard 200[7] 5
Singles
Year Song Chart Peak
position
2000 "Awake" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
Alternative Songs[14] 12
2001 "Bad Magick" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 3
Alternative Songs[14] 28
"Greed" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 3
Alternative Songs[14] 28

Certification

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[15] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[16] 2× Platinum 2,500,000[17]

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release details

Country Date Label
United States October 31, 2000 Uptown/Universal
Japan March 23, 2001 Universal International

References

  1. ↑ "Awake - Godsmack". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ Hermes, Will (2000-11-03). "Awake Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  3. ↑ "CG: godsmack". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  4. ↑ Kot, Greg (2000-11-09). "Godsmack: Awake : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  5. ↑ "Sully Erna Visits Showbiz Tonight". rockdirt.com. 2006-05-13.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Godsmack Keeps Alt Metal 'Awake'". Billboard.com. 2000-11-01.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Godsmack–Artist chart history". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  8. ↑ "Godsmack Is 'Awake' At #5". Yahoo! Music. 2000-11-09. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  9. ↑ "Ken Phillips Publicity Group - Godsmack". Ken Phillips Publicity Group. 2006-07-11. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  10. ↑ "Godsmack Delivers 'Smack This!' DVD". Billboard.com. 2002-03-28.
  11. ↑ "Godsmack - Awake". austriancharts.at.
  12. ↑ "Charverfolgung / Godsmack / Longplay" (in German). PhonoNet.
  13. ↑ "Godsmack - Awake". charts.org.nz.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Godsmack Alternative Songs Chart History". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Godsmack – Awake". Music Canada.
  16. ↑ "American album certifications – Godsmack – Awake". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  17. ↑ "Universal Republic Community | Biography". universalrepublic.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.