Godsmack (album)

Godsmack
Studio album by Godsmack
Released	August 25, 1998 [1]
Recorded	1996–1998
Studio	New Alliance Studios, Boston, Massachusetts
Genre	Alternative metal [2] [3] nu metal [3] hard rock [4]
Length	55:14
Label	Universal Republic
Producer	Mudrock
Godsmack chronology
All Wound Up (1997) Godsmack (1998) Awake (2000)
Singles from Godsmack
"Whatever" Released: August 25, 1998 "Keep Away" Released: June 11, 1999 "Voodoo" Released: October 20, 1999 "Bad Religion" Released: February 15, 2000

Godsmack is the major label debut album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released by Republic Records and Universal Records on August 25, 1998. ^[5] The album's recording was initially paid for by the band, at a cost of $2,600, at New Alliance Studios in Boston, and released through the band's own record label E. K. Records Company under the title All Wound Up... in February 1997. ^{[5] [6] [7]} When the band was signed to Republic/Universal in June 1998, All Wound Up... was partly edited and remixed, fully remastered at Sterling Sound in New York, and given a new artwork and layout before being re-released. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

The album was certified Gold on April 13, 1999, and Platinum on June 15, 1999, ^{[10] [9]} the latter only nine days after it was controversially banned from several leading chain stores due to questionable lyrics and imagery. ^[10] A Parental Advisory sticker was quickly added before the album resumed distribution, ultimately reaching 4× Platinum on December 4, 2001. ^[11]

Background

The album differs from All Wound Up... by splitting the song "Get Up, Get Out!" into two tracks (the intro portion being re-titled "Someone in London"). "Whatever", which was recorded in February 1998 as a separate single and was added as a bonus track to later pressings of All Wound Up..., was edited into the album itself and served as the lead single after the reissue. ^[6] The band had originally planned to keep "Whatever" for its next album (which later took shape as Awake), but included it on Godsmack. ^[7] An entire sample lifted from the 1995 film Murder In The First , was removed from the ending of "Moon Baby" because actor Gary Oldman would not grant permission of its use. ^[7] Another sample was also removed from the intro of "Bad Religion". ^[7]

The song "Going Down" was removed from the main edition of Godsmack, though it was included as a bonus track on the Japanese edition. It was later re-recorded for the band's second major album Awake , under the slightly modified title "Goin' Down". Another song recorded at the same time as "Whatever" in February 1998, "Bad Magik", was only included as a Japanese bonus track on Godsmack, and was also later re-recorded for Awake, with the slightly modified title "Bad Magick". ^{[7] [8]}

Other minor changes were made to songs' beginning and end fades during the remastering. ^{[7] [8]} All Wound Up... was originally mastered by Jonathan Wyner at M-Works in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ^[12] but Godsmack was remastered by Joseph M. Palmaccio at Sterling Sound in New York City. ^[13] Erna played drums on all of the songs, except "Whatever" which featured Joe D'Arco. ^[12] Nevertheless, Tommy Stewart is credited as drummer in the liner notes. ^[13]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Hip Online	7/10 [14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[15]

After playing the Boston area over the following two years, local radio stations WAAF, WBCN WFNX began playing the singles "Keep Away" and "Whatever", both of which helped the band to sell copies of their self-financed album All Wound Up . After the demand for their album became too high, Republic Records/Universal Records stepped in and signed the band to their label in 1998. The band replaced drummer Joe D'Arco with Tommy Stewart and All Wound Up was remastered and released six weeks later as Godsmack.

On November 20, 2024, the album was certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA. ^[16]

Loudwire named Godsmack as one of the top 10 hard rock albums of 1998. ^[4]

In 1999, the album won a Boston Music Award for Debut Album of the Year. ^[17]

Controversy

The album caused controversy due to its profane lyrics, and liner notes containing a Wiccan pentagram and reference to "Salem witches", minus a Parental Advisory warning label. ^{[18] [10]} After listening to his son's copy of the album, a father in the U.S. complained to Walmart, who sold him the album, that the lyrics were offensive. Walmart 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."

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Moon Baby"	Sully Erna	4:23
2.	"Whatever"	Erna Tony Rombola	3:26
3.	"Keep Away"	Erna	4:50
4.	"Time Bomb"	Erna	4:00
5.	"Bad Religion"	Erna Tommy Stewart	3:14
6.	"Immune"	Erna Robbie Merrill Rombola	4:50
7.	"Someone in London" (instrumental)	Rombola	2:03
8.	"Get Up, Get Out!"	Erna	3:30
9.	"Now or Never"	Erna	5:06
10.	"Stress"	Erna	5:03
11.	"Situation"	Erna Merrill	5:47
12.	"Voodoo" (the hidden track "Witch Hunt" begins at 6:40, after two minutes of silence)	Erna Merrill	9:04
Total length:			55:14

Japanese edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Goin' Down"	Erna Rombola Merrill	3:27
13.	"Bad Magik"	Erna	4:17
Total length:			62:53

Notes

• The Japanese bonus tracks are situated before "Voodoo" as tracks 12 and 13.
• Track 13 is an early version of "Bad Magick", later re-recorded and released on Awake .
• On some digital versions, the hidden track "Witch Hunt" is omitted from "Voodoo".
• On original pressings, "Bad Religion" has a length of 3:41.

Personnel

Godsmack

• Sully Erna – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, drums, producer, additional keyboards
• Tony Rombola – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Robbie Merrill – bass
• Tommy Stewart – drums (credit only) ^{[12] [13]}
• Joe D'Arco – drums on "Whatever" (uncredited) ^{[12] [13]}

Others

• Andrew Murdock – co-production, engineering, additional percussion
• Joseph M. Palmaccio – mastering
• Toni Tiller – girl on CD layout ^[19]
• Dale May – photography

Charts

Album Year Chart Peak position 1999 Heatseekers 2 Billboard 200 [20] 22 2000 Catalog Albums Chart [20] 1

Singles Year Song Chart Peak position 1999 "Whatever" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 7 Alternative Songs [21] 19 "Keep Away" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 5 Alternative Songs [21] 31 2000 "Voodoo" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 5 Alternative Songs [21] 6 "Bad Religion" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 8 Alternative Songs [21] 32

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [22]	Gold	50,000^
United States (RIAA) [16]	5× Platinum	5,000,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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

References

1. "23 Years Ago: Godsmack Unleash Their Self-Titled Debut Album". Loudwire . August 25, 2022.
2. Weinstein, Deena (2015). Rock'n America: A Social and Cultural History. University of Toronto Press. (January 27th, 2015)
3. Godsmack at AllMusic
4. "10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1998". Loudwire. January 25, 2018.
5. Morse, Steve (September 4, 1998). "Godsmack's noisy recipe for success". The Boston Globe . Retrieved August 22, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
6. "All Wound Up..." The Best I Ever Did. May 1998. Archived from the original on March 11, 2000. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
7. Redmon, Jess (February 1999). "Godsmack Interview". Alt Rock World. Archived from the original on October 1, 1999. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
8. Carriere, Nicola (December 16, 1999). "Godsmack Interview". Broken Silence. Archived from the original on April 26, 2001. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
9. "We are putting out the same CD". Blast to the Moon. August 1998. Archived from the original on October 13, 1999. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
10. Morse, Steve (June 16, 1999). "For Godsmack, being banned is good". The Boston Globe . Retrieved August 22, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
11. "American album certifications – Godsmack – Godsmack". Recording Industry Association of America.
12. All Wound Up... liner notes. E. K. Records Company. 1997.
13. Godsmack liner notes. Republic Records/Universal Records. 1998.
14. Hip Online Review
15. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  334. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
16. "American album certifications – Godsmack – Godsmack". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 20, 2024.
17. "Boston Music Awards 1999".
18. "Godsmack - Godsmack". PR Newswire. Retrieved March 19, 2015. GODSMACK to Shoot Video for 'Voodoo'
19. Childers, Chad (August 25, 2020). "What Does Godsmack's Debut Album Cover Model Look Like Now?". Loudwire . Retrieved September 4, 2024.
20. "Godsmack - Godsmack". Billboard .
21. "Godsmack Alternative Songs Chart History". Billboard.
22. "Canadian album certifications – Godsmack – Godsmack". Music Canada . Retrieved November 20, 2024.