Godsmack is an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...
, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist
Sully Erna, bassist
Robbie Merrill
Robbie or Robby is a surname. It is usually encountered as a nickname or a shortened form of Robert, Rob or Robin. The name experienced a significant rise in popularity in Northern Ireland in 2003.
People Given name Robbie
* Robbie Amell (born 1 ...
, lead guitarist
Tony Rombola
Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ...
and drummer
Shannon Larkin
James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of Rock music, rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen (American ba ...
. Since its formation, Godsmack has released seven studio albums, one EP (''
The Other Side''), four DVDs, one compilation album (''
Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack''), and one live album (''
Live & Inspired
''Live & Inspired'' is the first live album by American rock band Godsmack. Released on May 15, 2012, the album features live renditions of songs from each of the band's first four studio albums and includes a bonus disc of four cover version re ...
'').
The band has released three consecutive number-one albums (''
Faceless'', ''
IV'' and ''
The Oracle'') on the
''Billboard'' 200. The band also has 25 top ten
rock radio hits, including 18 songs in the top five. The band's seventh album, ''
When Legends Rise
''When Legends Rise'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on April 27, 2018. It marks the band's first album away from heavy metal into a more hard rock sound. The album's first single, "Bulletproof", was ...
'' was released on April 27, 2018.
Since its inception, Godsmack has toured with
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...
on more than one occasion and has toured with many other large tours and festivals, including supporting its albums with its own arena tours. In honor of the band's success and the release of their sixth studio album, ''
1000hp'', Mayor
Marty Walsh
Martin Joseph Walsh (born April 10, 1967) is an American politician and former union official. He has been the 29th United States Secretary of Labor since March 23, 2021. A Democrat, he previously served as the 54th mayor of Boston from 2014, ...
declared August 6 as "Godsmack Day" in the city of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
.
History
Formation and ''All Wound Up...'' (1995–1997)
In February 1995,
Sully Erna decided to start a new band as the lead singer after playing the drums for more than 23 years, including more than two years in the now-defunct band Strip Mind.
His new band, The Scam, formed with Erna on vocals,
Robbie Merrill
Robbie or Robby is a surname. It is usually encountered as a nickname or a shortened form of Robert, Rob or Robin. The name experienced a significant rise in popularity in Northern Ireland in 2003.
People Given name Robbie
* Robbie Amell (born 1 ...
on bass, local guitarist and friend Lee Richards on guitar, and
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, ...
on drums. The Scam quickly changed its name to Godsmack, after recording one demo.
The newly formed band started playing small bars in their hometown of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Locally popular songs such as "
Keep Away
Keep Away, also called Monkey in the Middle, Piggy in the Middle, Pickle in a Dish, or Pickle in the Middle, or Monkey, is a children's game in which two or more players must pass a ball to one another, while a player in the middle attempts to i ...
" and "
Whatever" soon brought them to the top of the hit charts in the Boston/New England area.
Many people think the band's name stemmed from an
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...
song, but according to Erna, the band's name came from a small and personal incident. "I was making fun of
ur drummer at the timeref name=":0" /> who had a cold sore on his lip and the next day I had one myself and somebody said, 'It's a god smack.' The name stuck. We were aware of the Alice In Chains song but didn't really think much about it."
In 1996,
Tony Rombola
Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ...
joined as the guitarist after Richards left upon learning he had a six-year-old child and Stewart left due to personal differences.
In the same year, the band entered New Alliance Studio in Boston to record its debut album, ''
All Wound Up...''.
The CD was recorded in just three days for $2,600 and was self-released in February 1997 through the band's own record label, E. K. Records Company.
In May 1997, Joe D'Arco joined to replace Stewart on drums.
Eventually, Godsmack's CD landed in the hands of Rocko, the night-time DJ for Boston radio station
WAAF (FM). The radio station put "Keep Away" into heavy rotation and the song rose to the number one spot at the station very quickly.
Newbury Comics, a New England record store chain, agreed to sell the CD on consignment. Shortly after the success of "Keep Away", Godsmack went back into the studio and recorded a single titled "Whatever", which became the new local favorite on WAAF (FM).
In an interview Sully Erna stated, "We had been selling maybe 50 copies a month at the time WAAF picked up the album. All of a sudden we started moving over a thousand records a week. (...) I was doing all this from my bedroom. After years of grinding away, things finally started taking off." In April 1998, D'Arco was dismissed from the band.
He was replaced by former drummer
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, ...
, who returned after expressing a desire to be in the band again.
''Godsmack'' (1998–1999)
![Godsmack logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Godsmack_logo.png)
In June 1998,
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
/
Republic Records
Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
signed the band to their label. The band's first album ''All Wound Up...'' was slightly edited to remove unlicensed samples, fully re-mastered and given a new artwork and layout; the finished self-titled album ''
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its form ...
'' was released to the public six weeks later on August 25, 1998.
This led to the band's first headlining tour, "The Godsmack Tour" with
Jim Rose Circus
The Jim Rose Circus is a modern-day version of a circus sideshow. It was founded in Seattle in 1991 by Jim Rose and his wife BeBe Aschard Rose. The sideshow came to prominence to an American audience as a second stage show at the 1992 Lollapaloo ...
as the opening act.
After the album's release the band went on the road playing club shows as well as playing at
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...
and
Woodstock '99
Woodstock '99 (also called Woodstock 1999) was a music festival held from July 22 to July 25, 1999, in Rome, New York. After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock fe ...
. This was followed by a tour in Europe supporting
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
.
Roxanne Blanford from Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars, stating, "Godsmack confidently brought metal into the technological age". The album entered the
''Billboard'' 200 at number twenty-two,
and was certified
4× platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
in 2001
after being initially certified gold in 1999.
The album sold well despite being initially pulled from the shelves in some stores due to concerns over some of its
lyrical content.
The band and its record label later added a
Parental Advisory
Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...
sticker to the album,
and some stores ordered amended copies of the album. Erna commented in ''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 appear to adversely affect album sales but, according to Erna, helped; "It's almost taunting kids to go out and get the record to see what we're saying on it."
The album also had four successful singles which were "Whatever", "Keep Away", "Voodoo" and "Bad Religion".
''Awake'' (2000–2001)
In 2000, Godsmack returned to the studio after the multi-platinum success of ''
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its form ...
'' to start recording ''
Awake
Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
''. The album was released on , 2000. The album debuted at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, and has been certified 2× platinum by the RIAA.
"
Vampires
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths ...
", a song on the album, also earned the band a
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nomination for
Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 2002. With the release of ''Awake'', Godsmack toured Europe supporting
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...
. Erna said at the time, "We've been touring nonstop since August 1998, So most of ''Awake'' was written on tour while we were ping-ponging between America and Europe, building up the band. "
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband Ozzy Osbourne, both ...
" was actually the only big tour where we rode under someone else's wings; we did a lot of work on our own." The band played Ozzfest in 2000 again as they had in 1999.
On July 19, 2001, Godsmack released their first live DVD titled ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
''. The DVD has since been certified Gold by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for selling 50,000 copies in the United States.
Two of the songs on the album were used in United States Navy commercials ("
Sick of Life
"Sick of Life" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on the band's second studio album, '' Awake''.
"Accelerate Your Life" commercials
In one of the recruitment advertisements, the beginning of "Sick of Life" plays in the bac ...
" and "
Awake
Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
") as background music. Erna stated, "Someone in the military is a fan, and they asked if they could use the music, and we accepted". However, Erna insisted in an interview that Godsmack does not support any war.
''The Scorpion King'', ''Faceless'' and ''The Other Side'' (2002–2004)
In 2002, Erna was asked to write and perform a song for the soundtrack to ''
The Scorpion King
''The Scorpion King'' is a 2002 American sword and sorcery action adventure film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov and Michael Clarke Duncan. It is both a prequel and spin-off of ''The ...
''.
The song Godsmack wrote and performed was titled "
I Stand Alone" and the song became the number 1 single at Rock Radio and the most played Active Rock song in 2002 for 14 weeks straight.
It was also used in the game ''
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within''.
With
Shannon Larkin
James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of Rock music, rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen (American ba ...
(ex
Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name.
To date, Ugly Kid Joe have released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and ...
,
Souls at Zero
''Souls at Zero'' is the third studio album by the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. It was released in 1992 by the Alternative Tentacles record label. It was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label. ...
,
Wrathchild America
Wrathchild America was an American heavy metal band formed in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1978. Before settling on the Wrathchild America name in 1988, the band had performed under the names Atlantis, Tyrant, and Wrathchild. They released t ...
, MF Pitbulls) replacing
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, ...
, who left due to personal differences for the second time,
Godsmack went back into the studio later that year to record a new album that was released in 2003. ''
Faceless'' debuted at number one on the
''Billboard'' 200, selling 269,000 copies in its first week, and the album would go on to sell over one million copies in the United States. ''Faceless'' also debuted at number nine on the Top Canadian Albums and at number one on the Top Internet Albums and remained at that position for two weeks. A massive Tour of America and Europe supporting Metallica followed.
The lead single "
Straight Out of Line
"Straight Out of Line" is a song by American rock band Godsmack and the lead single from their album '' Faceless''. After its release in March 2003, the song immediately ascended to number one on the Mainstream Rock chart, and hit the top 10 on ...
" received a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance". The award went to
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90's, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut s ...
's single "
Bring Me to Life
"Bring Me to Life" is the debut single by American rock band Evanescence from their debut studio album, ''Fallen'' (2003). Wind-up released it as the album's lead single on April 7, 2003. The song was written by Amy Lee when she was 19, after ...
". The album got its name after a swimming-pool incident. However, in a later interview Merrill stated otherwise, making it unclear of how the album's title came to be, "It came from the band's feeling that, despite our radio and sales success, we still flew a bit under the radar".
On March 16, 2004 ''
The Other Side'', an
acoustic EP, was released. The album debuted at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, a relatively high position for an acoustic EP.
It included several previously released songs re-recorded as acoustic versions, as well as three new acoustic tracks. One new song, "
Touché", featured Godsmack's first guitar player, Lee Richards, as well as John Kosco, who were at that time in the now defunct band
Dropbox
Dropbox is a file hosting service operated by the American company Dropbox, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, U.S. that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and Client (computing), client software. Dropb ...
, The other two new acoustic tracks were "
Running Blind" and "Voices".
The song "Asleep" is actually an acoustic version of "
Awake
Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
" from the band's second album ''
Awake
Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
''. Godsmack shifted from its "heavy" sound to a more mellow acoustic sound on this EP in the same manner Alice in Chains did in the ''
Sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separa ...
'' and ''
Jar of Flies
''Jar of Flies'' is the third studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on January 25, 1994, through Columbia Records. This is Alice in Chains' second acoustic EP, preceded by 1992's '' Sap'', and it is the first EP in music ...
'' EPs, one of many similarities to Alice in Chains for which the band has been criticized.
In 2004, Godsmack opened for
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
's "
Madly in Anger with the World tour", and headlined the tour along with Dropbox. Afterwards, in autumn 2004, the band played several acoustic shows to promote ''The Other Side'', while at the same time continuing to open for Metallica.
''IV'' and ''Ten Years of Godsmack'' (2005–2007)
![Sully Erna, Lead Singer of Heavy Metal Band Godsmack](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Sully_Erna%2C_Lead_Singer_of_Heavy_Metal_Band_Godsmack.jpg)
Throughout 2005, The band was in the studio recording and writing material for a new album. On April 25, 2006, Godsmack released its fourth studio album simply titled ''
IV'', followed by a tour that would continue until August 2007, titled "The IV tour". The album was produced by Erna and engineered by the well known producer and engineer
Andy Johns
Jeremy Andrew "Andy" Johns (20 May 1950 – 7 April 2013) was a British sound engineer and record producer who worked on several well-known rock albums, including the Rolling Stones' '' Exile on Main St.'' (1972), Television's '' Marquee Moon'' ...
, known for engineering
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
's ''
Led Zeppelin IV''.
The first single from the album, "
Speak" was released on , 2006. The album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 211,000 copies in its first week.
''IV'' has since been certified gold. The band had written over forty songs for the album, but the final track listing had eleven tracks, Larkin commented, "it's Sully's band and his vision.
..hen it comes time to pick the songs it's all Sully".
The album's minimalist name "IV" derives not only from its being the band's fourth studio album, but also from a running piece of backstage humor, as related by Larkin and Erna in an interview.
To celebrate ten years as a band, Godsmack released a
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
album entitled ''
Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack'' on , 2007. The album debuted at number thirty-five on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 40,000 copies in the first week of release. It includes a cover of the
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
song "
Good Times Bad Times
"Good Times Bad Times" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, featured as the opening track on their 1969 debut album ''Led Zeppelin''. The song was Led Zeppelin's first single released in the US, where it reached the ''Billboard'' ...
", as well as a DVD of Godsmack's acoustic performance in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
at
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
. The album was originally intended to be a boxed set, but the band scrapped the plans so they could release a best of album. Godsmack will follow the release of the album with an acoustic tour.
Despite rumors of the band going on hiatus as a result of releasing a greatest hits album, Erna was quoted as saying, "we're not going away, we are just gonna take a break and enjoy our 10th year anniversary and kind of recharge our batteries. And then Godsmack will be back, and we will come back bigger and badder than ever."
''The Oracle'' and break (2008–2013)
In November 2008, Larkin announced that the band would be reforming and recording a new album.
The following summer, the band toured as support to
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
's Crüe Fest 2 tour and released a non-album single, "
Whiskey Hangover
"Whiskey Hangover" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. Released as a promotional single in 2009, it marked the band's first in the almost two years since the release of "Good Times, Bad Times." The song became a live staple in Godsmack's s ...
". After the tour, Godsmack started production for their new album. The album, titled ''
The Oracle'' was released on , 2010. Arriving to popular reception, ''
The Oracle'' was Godsmack's third straight full-length studio album to debut at No. 1 with 117,000 sold in the first week of release. Erna had this to say about the early sound album, "It's gonna be really heavy. I mean, it's very aggressive. I'm not really sure; it's very premature right now. Right now we just finished one track for the Crüe Fest this Summer. But as far as the whole record goes, I think it's going to be a lot more in your face. I don't think there's going to be any 'Voodoo's or 'Serenity's on this one. We decided to go balls out!".
Godsmack headlined the fourth annual
Mayhem Festival
The Mayhem Festival was a touring Heavy metal music, heavy metal festival that took place during the summer. The inaugural season took place in 2008; the festival later became an annual event across the United States. Most years also included a ...
alongside
Disturbed
Disturbed may refer to:
Books
* ''Disturbed'', a 2011 novel by Kevin O'Brien (author)
Film and TV
* ''Disturbed'' (film), a 1990 film starring Malcolm McDowell
* "Disturbed" (''Numb3rs''), a 2009 episode of ''Numb3rs''
* "The Disturbed", a 2 ...
. The band entered the studio in January 2012 to mix a live album plus record several covers for an upcoming release.
They then went on tour in the spring with
Staind
Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and dr ...
.
In February 2012, Godsmack finished an EP of cover songs. Godsmack released their new live album ''
Live & Inspired
''Live & Inspired'' is the first live album by American rock band Godsmack. Released on May 15, 2012, the album features live renditions of songs from each of the band's first four studio albums and includes a bonus disc of four cover version re ...
'' on May 15, 2012. The set included a bonus EP of cover tracks. In December of the same year, Sully said in an interview that Godsmack would take a break during 2013, stating "We're going to take some time away now because we just ran for the last two years." A month after, Erna announced a short solo tour through America.
''1000hp'' (2014–2016)
upright=1.25, Godsmack performing in 2015
In February 2014, Erna tweeted that the band had made progress in the songwriting process for its next studio album, tentatively scheduled for a late 2014 release. He also mentioned that the band finished 11 songs for the new record in two weeks. In April, the band announced that they had recorded 15 songs, ten of which would make the final cut. In May, Erna announced that the album would be titled ''
1000hp'' (1000 Horsepower).
The album's title track was released as a single the following month.
The album was released on August 5, 2014, and sold around 58,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. Since release the album has spawned the singles ''
Something Different'' and ''
What's Next''.
The band have unified a campaign to aid military veterans with their latest single ''What's Next''.
Godsmack also headlined the 2014
Uproar Festival
The Uproar Festival, also called the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, was an annual hard rock and heavy metal tour inaugurated in 2010 by John Reese and sponsored by Rockstar Energy Drink. The tour was also created by John Oakes, Darryl E ...
. They were announced on August 20, 2014, to be part of the Soundwave Festival in Australia. In July 2015, the band revealed dates for an upcoming North American fall headline tour. The run included dates with
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and rhythm guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and lead guitarist Clint Lowery ...
. Also in August 2015 Godsmack announced a new leg of North American dates that would keep the band busy through mid-November.
On October 14, 2015, Godsmack released a digital single called "Inside Yourself" available for a limited free download. The song was released on iTunes on November 20, 2015.
On September 9, 2016, Erna confirmed that the band had officially left
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
/
Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
, and signed a deal with
BMG.
''When Legends Rise'' (2017–2020)
The band began work on a seventh studio album in 2017. The album, ''
When Legends Rise
''When Legends Rise'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on April 27, 2018. It marks the band's first album away from heavy metal into a more hard rock sound. The album's first single, "Bulletproof", was ...
'', was released on April 27, 2018.
The album's first single, "
Bulletproof
Bulletproofing is the process of making an object capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles (e.g. shrapnel). The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protectio ...
", was released ahead of the album on February 28, 2018.
The band toured across North America from May through October 2018. They played at several festivals before embarking on a co-headlining summer tour with Shinedown. The band then toured Europe in October and November 2018 in support of their new album. However, On October 17, 2018, it was announced that the band postponed their fall 2018 Europe tour, following death of
Tony Rombola
Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ...
's son and plan to reschedule in early 2019.
On July 25, 2019, the song "
Under Your Scars" hit number 1 for two weeks for the first time on the ''Billboard''
Mainstream Rock Songs
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...
chart.
On April 8, 2020, the band released a music video for the song "
Unforgettable
Unforgettable may refer to:
Film
* ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta
* ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
". 400 aspiring musicians from middle school students across New England to take part in the video. The video, directed by Noah Berlow, again sent the song to the top of the charts for five weeks, setting a new record most constitutive at number 1 in its category.
''Lighting Up the Sky'' (2021–present)
![Godsmack Worcester](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Godsmack_Worcester.jpg)
News of a follow-up to the album began circulating as early as August 2019 when frontman
Sully Erna revealed in an interview with Canada's
iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming Computing platform, platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbr ...
that the band has been preparing to begin the songwriting process for the album.
It was later revealed that Godsmack would be working on two new releases for 2021: an acoustic EP and a full length album. That plan has since been scrapped with Sully admitting that the band was being "a little bit more ambitious" at the time.
With just one album to focus on, Godsmack drummer
Shannon Larkin
James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of Rock music, rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen (American ba ...
said on "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" podcast that the band intended for the album to be released in 2022. In an April 23, 2022, interview with
WJRR
WJRR (101.1 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cocoa Beach, Florida, serving Greater Orlando. Owned by iHeartMedia, WJRR airs an active rock radio format. It is the Orlando affiliate for the syndicated rock series '' Skratch 'N Snif ...
, frontman
Sully Erna said that the band has finished recording the new album with a new single expected to hit the airwaves in mid-to-late summer and that the album could be the band's last.
On September 28, 2022, the band released the single titled "
Surrender". Shortly after the release of the new single,
Sully Erna revealed in an interview with 93X Radio's Pablo that the title of the album would be ''
Lighting Up the Sky'' and that it would indeed be the band's last record.
A second single for the album “You and I” was released on November 11, 2022. The album is scheduled to be released on February 24, 2023.
Musical style and influences
![Sully Ernas drum solo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Sully_Ernas_drum_solo.jpg)
Godsmack has been described as
post-grunge
Post-grunge is a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush (British band), Bush, Candlebox and Collective So ...
,
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
,
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu met ...
,
alternative metal
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With r ...
,
and
heavy metal. The band's primary influences include
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whi ...
,
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...
,
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...
and
Rush according to Erna, Larkin, and Rombola.
Erna has cited
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley; August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician, songwriter and the original lead singer of the rock band Alice in Chains, which rose to international fame in the early 1990s as part ...
as his primary influence.
The overall sound of the band's first two albums have been compared to Alice in Chains' album ''
Dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
* Dust: a genera ...
''. However, Godsmack has attempted to distance themselves from the Alice in Chains comparison with Erna stating in an interview with Matt Ashare, "I've just never really heard that in our music." Explaining that Godsmack is a more original band than people give credit for, and that they are not a mere Alice In Chains clone. But that he understands the comparisons by saying: "These are some of the bands that we grew up listening to, or enjoy today, and sometimes it triggers an idea. So, there could be hints of influences there, but that kind of got on my nerves for a while. But with a name like GODSMACK, how could people not go there?"
The band's music is often compared to Alice in Chains which the band cites as an influence.
Adrien Begrand of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' states, "Erna perfectly mimics the late Layne Staley's low, guttural, sinister singing and snarly, metal-inspired growls" and, "The band's music is a faithful retread of
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internation ...
's churning, tuned-down hard rock".
Erna's singing style has been stated as "the snarl of James Hetfield", and "composed of dark harmony that sounds a lot like Alice in Chains".
Merrill's bass style has been described as "bulldozer bottom with occasional slap-bass reverb".
Larkin's drumming is thought to "worship at the twin altars of
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...
and
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove,J ...
".
And Rombola's guitar playing style has been praised as "guitars that sound like percussion instruments".
Band members
Current members
*
Sully Erna – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
(1995–present); studio drums
(1996–2003)
*
Robbie Merrill
Robbie or Robby is a surname. It is usually encountered as a nickname or a shortened form of Robert, Rob or Robin. The name experienced a significant rise in popularity in Northern Ireland in 2003.
People Given name Robbie
* Robbie Amell (born 1 ...
– bass
(1995–present); backing vocals
(2010–present)
*
Tony Rombola
Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals
(1996–present)
*
Shannon Larkin
James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of Rock music, rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen (American ba ...
– drums, percussion
(2002–present)
Former members
* Lee Richards – lead guitar
(1995–1996)
* Joe D'Arco – drums
(1997–1998)
*
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, ...
– drums
(1995–1997, 1998–2002)
file:Godsmack Rotr 2015 (109540525).jpeg, Sully Erna
file:River City Rockfest Overview (2017-05-27) (34994279335).jpg, Robbie Merrill
file:2015 RiP Godsmack Tony Rombola by 2eight - 3SC5095.jpg, Tony Rombola
file:2015 RiP Godsmack Shannon Larkin by 2eight - 3SC5195.jpg, Shannon Larkin
Timeline
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its form ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Awake
Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Faceless'' (2003)
* ''
IV'' (2006)
* ''
The Oracle'' (2010)
* ''
1000hp'' (2014)
* ''
When Legends Rise
''When Legends Rise'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on April 27, 2018. It marks the band's first album away from heavy metal into a more hard rock sound. The album's first single, "Bulletproof", was ...
'' (2018)
* ''
Lighting Up the Sky'' (2023)
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
!
, -
, 2001
, "Vampires"
, Best Rock Instrumental Performance
,
,
, -
, rowspan="2", 2003
, rowspan="2", "I Stand Alone"
, Best Rock Song
,
,
, -
, Best Hard Rock Performance
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
, 2004
, "Straight Out of Line"
, Best Hard Rock Performance
,
Billboard Awards
!
, -
, rowspan="2", 2001
, Godsmack
, Rock Artist of the Year
,
,
, -
, "Awake"
, rowspan="2", Rock Single of the Year
,
,
, -
, 2006
, "Speak"
,
,
Boston Music Awards
!
, -
, rowspan="4", 1999
, rowspan="2", Godsmack
, Rising Star
,
, rowspan="4",
, -
, Outstanding Debut Rock Band
,
, -
, "Whatever"
, Single Of The Year
,
, -
, ''Godsmack''
, Debut Album Of The Year
,
, -
, rowspan="4", 2000
, rowspan="2", Godsmack
, Act of the Year
,
, rowspan="4",
, -
, Outstanding Rock Band
,
, -
, Sully Erna
, Male Vocalist of the Year
,
, -
, Sully Erna/Godsmack
, Song/Songwriter
,
, -
, rowspan="6", 2001
, rowspan="2", "Greed"
, Single of the Year
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
, Video of the Year
,
, -
, ''Awake''
, Album of the Year
,
, rowspan="4",
, -
, Sully Erna
, Male Vocalist of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="3", Godsmack
, Act of the Year
,
, -
, Outstanding Rock Band
,
, -
, rowspan="2", 2002
, Rock Band of the Year
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
, Sully Erna
, Male Vocalist of the Year
,
, -
, 2003
, rowspan="2", Godsmack
, Outstanding Rock/Pop Band
,
,
, -
, 2006
, Hard Rock Act of the Year
,
,
See also
*
References
External links
*
*
*
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its form ...
at
Billboard.com
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
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