Could Godsmack be the most-snubbed band in the U.S.?
To hear members of the Boston foursome tell it, the answer is yes.
Despite a loyal fan base and enviable chart success, the band has received nothing, but snubs from the big leagues of music reviews, including MTV and Rolling Stone magazine. OK, in fairness, MTV did choose the band?s song “Voodoo” as the theme for MTV Fear. But overall, the reviewers haven?t cozied to the Metallica-meets-Alice in Chains Godsmack sound.
But the band doesn?t fret over the lack of kudos. Far from it.
Instead, they look to reward their fans with a tour that has special multimedia effects (bring earplugs to the show, band members warn) and VIP packages that include a pre-show party, up-close seating and other fan perks.
“Our fans should expect the biggest Godsmack spectacle yet,” founder and singer Sully Erna said. “This show has virtually every visual and aural experience one can imagine. Expect the unexpected when we hit Baltimore.”
That?s saying something for a band that is well-known for pyrotechnics, on-stage drum “duels” and raucous performances at various Ozzfest extravaganzas. But it?s also indicative of the “do it our way” approach Godsmack has always taken, generating interest without a giant publicity machine.
Consider that their newly released disk, “Godsmack IV” (mixed by legendary engineer/producer Andy Johns, who also worked with Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones), has hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. Erna credits the band?s solid fan base for the success of the album, which veers away from the band?s metal roots.
“I believe our songwriting has matured to where we?re creating as a whole, we?re more defined. I let go of the steering wheel a bit, allowing the band control over the writing. With me stepping away to get an outside view, I came up with lyrics for what I viewed as almost another group entirely,” said Erna. “It?s a lot more rootsy than the metal edge we?re used to playing.”
But don?t expect the band to ignore old favorites such as “Awake,” “Whatever” and “I Stand Alone” during their upcoming concert. Again, Godsmack knows that the fans are the answer to their sustained popularity, and they?re ready to give them what they want.
“Once people know you, it?s all about remembering who you are,” said bassist Robbie Merrill during a recent interview with the Sarasota Times-Herald. “You?re always going to look back at what you came from.”
If you go
Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin
» Venue: 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore
» Time: 7:30 p.m.
» Tickets: $37.50 to $47.50, www.ticketmaster.com; 410-547-SEAT
