Godsmack
Awake

THE REVIEW

If you are among those who find distinctly derivative bands a bit hard to digest, then you can stop right here.

In fact, Godsmack takes their name from a song by Alice in Chains, as well as their symbol and a large portion of their sound; if you add to that the fact that the singer's voice is a sort of mix between the late Layne Staley's and the more rugged one of James Hetfield, and that, additionally, for their greatest hits album they chose the name of a famous Led Zeppelin track ("Good Times, Bad Times"), the circle is complete.

That said, their second LP "Awake" is probably the best release Godsmack has given to the general public, in which they manage to express their idea of music at its best: a hard rock strengthened with metal (Nu) inserts where the traditional stylistic elements intertwine with more modern nuances, such as the use of a clean, full, crisp production leaning toward low and groovy soundscapes. Everything manages to be easily accessible from the first listen without being accused of pandering; exemplary in this regard are the famous and decidedly valid title track and the concluding "Spiral" where oriental textures culminate in very heavy guitar bursts contrasted with the melodic vocals.

Musically, the references to the "Alice enchainée" are numerous, from Sully Erna's vocal lines, always seductive and very often filtered as in "Bad Magick", to the abundant use of wah-wah and distorted guitars, aimed at creating rugged yet hypnotic riffs, see the catchy "Goin' Down" and "Mistakes", monolithic and tectonic with its instrumental progression in the finale.

"Vampires" should be noted, I think one of the rare examples of instrumental tracks in the realm of chart metal: okay, nothing too transcendental or complicated, but it certainly makes a mark for its compactness and aggressiveness.

In conclusion, Godsmack will always remain a band, as stated at the opening, derivative and with the serious flaw of not having managed (or not having wanted) to renew their sound over time, but they are certainly among the few metal bands born in the new millennium to have chosen the path of consistency in carrying forward their project, without being too influenced by current trends, as unfortunately often happens.