IV (Godsmack album)

Last updated

IV
Godsmack iv.jpg
Studio album by
Godsmack
ReleasedApril 25, 2006
StudioSpiral Recording Studios (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length61:55
Label Universal Republic
Producer Sully Erna, Andy Johns
Godsmack chronology
The Other Side
(2004)		IV
(2006)		 Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack
(2007)
Singles from IV
  1. "Speak"
    Released: April 4, 2006
  2. "Shine Down"
    Released: June 13, 2006
  3. "The Enemy"
    Released: October 31, 2006
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Ultimate Guitar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
411maniaStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

IV is the fourth studio album by American rock band Godsmack, released on April 25, 2006. This is Godsmack's only studio album produced by Andy Johns.

Contents

Recording and lyrical themes

According to Sully Erna: "This is the first time I've been totally honest, speaking the truth about real situations," he says. "In the past I was always pointing a finger, whether at myself or someone else, but I've come clean with myself and the people I can now love and care about.

This record is about the light at the end of the tunnel, coming out of that funk, recognizing the dark parts of our lives, but committing to finding a way out of them." [6]

With acclaimed engineer Andy Johns, who worked on such Led Zeppelin classics as "Stairway to Heaven" and "When the Levee Breaks", as well as albums by the Rolling Stones and Van Halen, Godsmack transitions from their metal roots to full-fledged classic blues-rockers. [7]

Recorded at Spiral Recording Studio in Los Angeles, Godsmack had the luxury, for the first time, of writing and recording IV without being on the road or having to rush to meet a deadline. They wrote 35 tracks, recorded 17, and picked the best of them to go on the disc. [6]

"There were a lot of things that happened on this record that were different than the way we worked in the past," explains Erna. "And one of those was me letting go of the steering wheel a bit, allowing the band control over the writing and me stepping away to an outside point of view and coming up with lyrics for what I viewed as another group entirely," he says. [6]

The lyrical themes, about speaking the truth and coming clean, are echoed in "Livin' in Sin", a song that inspired Erna to reveal to his girlfriend his infidelities, a theme he also explores in "The Enemy". "I was blocked for months," he says. "Writing that song opened up the floodgates and made me realize what this record was about." [6]

"Shine Down" was another example of the band wrenching light from dark. "That one's not just a song of hope, but of realistic expectations," explains Erna. "It's about being human and having problems. About not being able to lift your head off the pillow, but knowing there's somebody out there that watches over us and a universe that protects us. I knew this new year would be rocking for us. It's not religious, but spiritual." [6]

"Voodoo Too" is a sequel to their prior single "Voodoo", and features a bit of the ending of "Voodoo" in the beginning in the song.[ citation needed ]

With a runtime of over 61 minutes, it is the band's longest studio album.

Title

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:

We have this security guy, a big, tough guy named J.C. He's another Boston guy. And in Boston, it's "fou." They don't really have the "R." It's not "four," it's "fou." He'd be hanging around backstage and chicks would walk by and he would rate them from 1 to 10. But if it wasn't a 10, there was no 1, 2, 3, or 5. It was always you were a "ten" or a "fou." He just pulled the funniest things. Sometimes, he'd just hold up four fingers and wouldn't have to say it anymore, and we'd all just burst out laughing. And then the funniest one, this guy walked by with a chick on each arm, and he goes, "Hey, bub, two fous don't make an eight!" So when it came up, it's our fourth full-length record, everybody was like, "Fou!" And we were like, "That's it, Man." We're not trying to break any records for originality here. I know there's Black Sabbath Vol. 4 , Foreigner 4 , Led Zeppelin IV , a million IVs. We just thought it's fitting. [8] [9]

Commercial performance

IV sold 211,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. [10] This figure is a bit less than the 267,000 units sold by Godsmack's third studio album, Faceless , [11] back in April 2003, and the 256,000 first-week tally achieved by 2000's Awake . [12] IV also debuted at number four on the Top Canadian Albums and number one on the Top Internet Albums.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sully Erna, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Livin' in Sin"Erna, Tony Rombola, Robbie Merrill, Shannon Larkin 4:40
2."Speak" (dialogue by John Kosco of Dropbox)Erna, Rombola3:58
3."The Enemy" 4:08
4."Shine Down" 5:02
5."Hollow" (featuring Lisa Guyer)Erna, Rombola4:33
6."No Rest for the Wicked" 4:38
7."Bleeding Me" 3:38
8."Voodoo Too"Erna, Rombola, Merrill, Larkin5:27
9."Temptation" 4:07
10."Mama" 5:15
11."One Rainy Day" (is 7:21 in length and includes the hidden track "Safe and Sound", which begins at 12:21)Erna, Rombola, Merrill, Larkin16:40
Total length:61:55
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."I Stand Alone" (Live)3:48
Total length:65:42
Best Buy bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Safe and Sound"4:20
Total length:66:15
Target bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."I Thought"4:15
Total length:66:09
Special edition
No.TitleLength
12."Safe and Sound"4:20
13."I Thought"4:14
Total length:70:29

Personnel

Godsmack

Additional

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [24] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godsmack</span> American rock band

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 formation, Godsmack has released eight studio albums, one EP, four DVDs, one compilation album, and one live album.

<i>Awake</i> (Godsmack album) 2000 studio album by Godsmack

Awake is the second studio album by American rock 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. It is the final Godsmack album to include drummer Tommy Stewart, who would be replaced by current drummer Shannon Larkin afterwards.

<i>Faceless</i> (Godsmack album) 2003 studio album by Godsmack

Faceless is the third studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It's the first album to feature drummer Shannon Larkin, former drummer for Ugly Kid Joe. The album was released on April 8, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sully Erna</span> American rock musician (born 1968)

Salvatore Paul Erna Jr. is an American singer, musician, and songwriter, best known as the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for rock band Godsmack. He is also a harmonica player, drummer, and percussionist, performing these on albums and at live shows. He was ranked 47th in the Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists by Hit Parader.

<i>The Other Side</i> (Godsmack EP) 2004 EP by Godsmack

The Other Side is an acoustic EP by American rock band Godsmack, released on March 16, 2004. It includes several previously released songs re-recorded as acoustic versions, as well as three new acoustic tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speak (Godsmack song)</span> 2006 single by Godsmack

"Speak" is a single by the rock band Godsmack from their fourth album IV. It reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart and number ten on the Modern Rock chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Stand Alone (Godsmack song)</span> 2002 single by Godsmack

"I Stand Alone" is a song by the American rock band Godsmack. It was released to radio in February 2002 as the lead single from the Scorpion King soundtrack. It would reappear on Godsmack's third studio album, Faceless, the following year. It won a 2002 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for "Song of the Year From a Movie Soundtrack."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godsmack discography</span>

Godsmack is an American rock band founded in 1995 by singer Sully Erna and bassist Robbie Merrill. The band has released nine studio albums, one EP, two compilations, three video albums, and thirty-four singles. Erna and Merrill recruited local friend and guitarist Lee Richards and drummer Tommy Stewart to complete the band's lineup. In 1996, Tony Rombola replaced Richards, as the band's guitarist. In 1998, Godsmack released their self-titled debut album, a remastered version of the band's self-released debut, All Wound Up.... The album was distributed by Universal/Republic Records and shipped four million copies in the United States. In 2001, the band contributed the track "Why" to the Any Given Sunday soundtrack. After two years of touring, the band released Awake. Although the album was a commercial success, it failed to match the sales of Godsmack. In 2002, Stewart left the band due to personal differences, and was replaced by Shannon Larkin.

<i>Changes</i> (Godsmack video album) 2004 video by Godsmack

Changes is a documentary and live DVD released in September 2004 by American rock band Godsmack. The DVD was recorded in early 2004. That same month, the group also released "Batalla de los Tambores", a drum duel between Shannon Larkin and Sully Erna, available exclusively via online services such as Apple's iTunes Music Store, Real, Napster, and the Zune Marketplace. The DVD has been certified Gold by the RIAA, with access sales of 50,000 copies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight Out of Line</span> 2003 single by Godsmack

"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 the Modern Rock chart. It was the band's third number one on the Mainstream Rock chart and remained at that specific position for two weeks. It is also their highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 73.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine Down (song)</span> 2006 single by Godsmack

"Shine Down" is a single by the band Godsmack. It was featured on the band's fourth studio album, IV. The song landed a spot on the Mainstream Rock Tracks at number four.

<i>Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack</i> 2007 greatest hits album by Godsmack

Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack is a greatest hits collection by American rock band Godsmack. The collection includes all of Godsmack's singles, with the exception of "Bad Magick", and a DVD of the band's acoustic performance in Las Vegas at the House of Blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey Hangover</span> 2009 single by Godsmack

"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 shows during Crüe Fest 2 and was released in promotion of their appearance on the tour. "Whiskey Hangover" reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

<i>The Oracle</i> (Godsmack album) 2010 studio album by Godsmack

The Oracle is the fifth studio album by American rock band Godsmack, released in the United States on May 4, 2010. It is the first Godsmack album to be produced by Dave Fortman. The Oracle marks the first Godsmack studio album to be released since 2006's IV. It received generally favorable critical reviews and became the band's third consecutive album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love-Hate-Sex-Pain</span> 2010 single by Godsmack

"Love-Hate-Sex-Pain" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It is the second single from the band's fifth studio album, The Oracle.

<i>1000hp</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Godsmack

1000 hp, stylized as 1000HP, is the sixth studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It is a follow-up to the band's 2010 gold-selling album The Oracle and was released on August 5, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulletproof (Godsmack song)</span> 2018 song by Godsmack

"Bulletproof" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was the first single off of their seventh studio album When Legends Rise.

"When Legends Rise" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was the second single off of their seventh studio album When Legends Rise.

"Unforgettable" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was the fourth single off of their seventh studio album When Legends Rise.

<i>Lighting Up the Sky</i> 2023 studio album by Godsmack

Lighting Up the Sky is the eighth and final studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on February 24, 2023, five years after their last studio album When Legends Rise, making it the longest gap between two studio albums by Godsmack.

References

  1. ↑ "IV - Godsmack". Allmusic .
  2. ↑ "Godsmack IV". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  3. ↑ Evan Serpick; Christian Hoard (April 18, 2006). "Godsmack: IV : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ "GODSMACK IV". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Godsmack – IV Review". 411mania. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Universal Public Community - Biography". Universal Public Community. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2008.
  7. ↑ Fuoco, Christina (June 23, 2006). "Interview: Shannon Larkin of Godsmack". Entertainment News. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  8. ↑ "'Livin in Sin' with Godsmack's Shannon Larkin". Live-Metal.net. May 6, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  9. ↑ Jenny, Feniak. "The music and magic of Godsmack". Edmunton sun. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ↑ "Godsmack's "IV" Debuts At #1 On Billboard 200". MetalUnderground.com. May 3, 2006. Retrieved December 10, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Godsmack: 'Faceless' Debut At #1". Blabbermouth.net. April 16, 2003. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Godsmack Is 'Awake' At #5". Yahoo! Music. November 9, 2000. Archived from the original on August 15, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Godsmack – IV" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Godsmack Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Godsmack – IV" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Godsmack – IV". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Godsmack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Godsmack Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Godsmack Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  22. 1 2 "Godsmack Alternative Songs Chart History". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "Godsmack Hot 100 Chart History". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "American album certifications – Godsmack – IV". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.