Customer Reviews

IV

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Approximately three years removed from the release of their third studio album "Faceless," the boys in Godsmack are back at it again, this time with "IV" (Four). Now, while this may hardly be the most creative name for the new album (I thought the same exact thing when Earshot released "Two," Staind put out "Chapter V," and Sevendust came out with "Next," but that's not the point) , the album itself is chock-full of great tunes and is classic Godsmack. Once again, the guys prove that they are able to make powerful music on both ends of the spectrum, whether it be a soft, acoustic tune such as "Hollow" (reminiscent of their work on their EP "The Other Side, released in 2004) or a hard rocker like first single "Speak." A lot of bands today try this, and most of them fail miserably. Personally, I think Godsmack and Sevendust are the only two modern rock bands who pull it off with any degree of success.

Although "Livin' In Sin" isn't the greatest opener, it's still a decent song with a catchy vibe that grows on you after a while. Three tracks in is "The Enemy," and is it just me or does this song sound an awful lot like "Bad Religion (from the self-titled album) Part II" in terms of guitar parts? Of course that's not necessarily a bad thing and while it may just be the weakest song on the album from a lyrical standpoint, I think that may be what the guys were going for here, as it's more of a "f*ck you" type song than anything else. After that comes "Shine Down" (not in any way related to the other great band known as Shinedown), and when you hear the harmonica at the beginning of this song, at first you're like "Huh? That can't work in a Godsmack song." But it does, and the harmonica solo halfway through is amazing. This is the first track on the album where Godsmack demonstrate their more "bluesy" side that several other reviewers on here have alluded to.

The aforementioned "Hollow" may be the best acoustic song the band has done to date, and the additional vocals provided by Lisa Guyer are nothing short of amazing. As for the sequel to "Voodoo" from the self-titled album, "Voodoo Too," I wouldn't say it's as great as the original but definitely a worthy successor. I especially like the chorus line, "Have you ever wondered why in a dream you can touch a falling sky?" I don't really care to provide reviews of the rest of the songs on this album, but rest assured that they are all good in their own ways. Having bought my copy at Target, the hidden bonus track that I was treated to is called "I Thought," and what a wonderful song it is. I thought it was cool how Godsmack put one track that was exclusive to copies of this album from certain stores, i.e. "I Thought" from Target and "Safe and Sound" from Best Buy. I am currently unaware of any others. (Although I do know that you get a free Godsmack T-shirt if you buy this album from Circuit City ths week, haha.)

Now, to all of the haters out there who say that Godsmack is nothing more than an Alice in Chains clone, with all due respect, please take your heads out of your asses. Godsmack have always been strongly influenced by the music of AIC (the band members themselves admit this), but that does not mean they are "ripping them off" in any way. If you cannot tell the difference between a Godsmack song and an AIC song, I strongly suggest you get your hearing checked (this coming from a huge Alice fan). There are similarities between the two bands, yes, but then again no band today is 100% original when it comes to sound and style.

And to the guy who said that nobody can name an AC/DC album other than "Back in Black"...hmmm, let's see..."Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," "The Razor's Edge," "For Those About To Rock...," "Highway To Hell," "Let There Be Rock," "Fly On The Wall," do you need me to go on? And if you truly believe that the only AC/DC songs played on the radio are those from their masterpiece "Back in Black," I strongly suggest you get, well, a radio. And last but certainly not least, as far as Pearl Jam is concerned, they had their heyday over a decade ago, and are merely a shell of the great band they once were. Their last album, "Riot Act," was a steaming pile of cow dung, aside from the great single that was "I Am Mine." Starting with that album, Eddie Vedder for whatever reason decided it would be a good idea to channel the spirit of Rage Against The Machine and turn PJ into, yet another, whiny political band. Pardon me for asking this, but whatever happened to rock bands just playing rock music without trying to bash people over the heads with their own sanctimonious political agendas?

Oh well, thankfully there's still at least one band we can count on not to do that. That band would be Godsmack.

Following up 2003's "Faceless," which received a mixed critical response, Godsmack release their fourth full length disc. "IV" was advertised by the band as being a more "experimental" album. Some skeptical people think the world will see Jesus' second coming before Godsmack make an experimental album. But Godsmack have definitely proved their cynics wrong, because this album does sound quite a bit different than "Faceless," 2000's "Awake," and 1998's self-entitled debut. There are several melodic songs on here, so "IV" has a somewhat gentle, tuneful, and harmonic edge. Thus, this album might not have as many good, heavy riffs as before, but it is definitely easier to swallow than `Smack's previous discs. Plus, frontman Sully Erna gets to actually sing on several of these tracks, and his lyrics are (for the most part) solidified.

The album opens with two somewhat disappointing but tolerable songs, "Livin In Sin" and "Speak." The former song kind of goes no where, and "Speak," which is the single, has some good hooks, but it sounds a little too familiar. But then things start to look up. "The Enemy" is a dark, "Awake"-esque song, with catchy, hard-hitting riffs over a lurching rhythm.

Track four, "Shine Down," is where the melody first makes an appearance. This song does have a few guitar riffs, but Sully's singing voice (which is actually pretty good) prevents it from being very heavy. A wailing harmonica solo, which wouldn't be out of place on a country music or Led Zeppelin album, is also included here.

"Hollow" is a somewhat pretty song with non-threatening, acoustic guitar strums and crooning. It might be a b-side from Godsmack's 2004 unplugged EP, "The Other Side," except this song also includes some female backing vocals.

The next two songs, "No Rest For The Wicked" and "Bleeding Me," return the album to Godsmack's heavy, riff-centered roots, but "Voodoo Too" is again melodic. It's a catchy little song (which is a sequel to 1998's hit single, "Voodoo") with tribal drums and a tasty (albeit brief) guitar solo.

"Temptation" is maybe the best of the heavy songs. It falls into a deep, thrashy groove and is backed by strong, churning riffs.

Finally, "Mama" and "One Rainy Day" are the last two songs. "Mama" is sort of in the same vein as "Shine Down" (it has more of Sully's very decent singing), and "One Rainy Day" is a dreary, depressing (though somewhat meandering) ballad which features very docile instruments and vocals.

All told, "IV" is easily Godsmack's most mature, well balanced, well-written, consistent, and all around best release to date. It's good for old-school fans, because there is plenty of headbanging-worthy material here, but you should also definitely check it out if you aren't a fan of their first three discs. This is a new side of Godsmack, one which we haven't heard before, and one which is significantly grown up and improved. Isn't it amazing what a little melody can do for a band?

With IV, Godsmack has definitely matured in their song writing, lyrics, structure, and sound. I consider myself a fan of theirs, however with their last full length cd, Faceless, I was growing tired of their sound-which had started to become repetitive. IV has changed my opinion (with exception of the guitar solos). To prove this band is expanding their sound, simply listen to Shine Down or Mama. Some would argue they have become "soft", however there are plenty of signature "Godsmack heavy songs" on this cd to satisfy the heavy rock Godsmack fan.

Pros:
*More varied in song variety than any previous albums.
*Better sounding. The mixing and production is much better than the last album.
*Lyrically, one of Sully's best efforts; he has expanded his range (perhaps since he gave up drinking and smoking)
*As Sully has been saying in the press, the new album is less "metal" and more "heavy rock" with "bluesy" elements to it. I consider this a positive change and a sign of growth.

Cons:
-The hidden track at the end is way too good to have to fast forward through 5 minutes of dead air to get to! I wouldn't normally be annoyed with this as hidden tracks typically are throw aways anyway. But in Godsmack's case it is one of the best songs on the album but a pain to get to! Whoever thought hidden tracks was a "cute" idea should have bamboo choutes ran up his/her fingernails! It's a hassle to get to the song.

-Guitar Work: Rombola uses the same tired wah guitar solos using the blues riff on virtually every song on every GSmack album. I like Tony Rombola but his guitar chops have not seemed to grow with the rest of the band. Some solos sound like they were ripped off from previous Godsmack songs. He should take note of guys like Mark Tremonti (formerly of Creed) who took a few years off prior to forming Alter Bridge so that he could take lessons from guitar wizz, Troy Stetina. His chops were heads and tails improved on the Alter Bridge cd compared to his work with Creed. Tony should take note.

-Arrangement: A very weak opening track. Livin in Sin is probably the weakest song on the entire album. If anything, it should have been placed in the middle or toward the end of the album. Temptation would have been an excellent opening track.

Overall, I'm very very pleased as the band has made great progress. I'd give this 8.5 out of 10 stars.

That is what you should be, I don't know... Maybe I am the only one left in the world with this bands first album, but I dare you to compare the two... I did it to prove a point to a friend. Listen to the original "voodoo" and then "voodoo II" it is just a crying shame!!!

I've read some mixed reviews on this album. Not sure how any fan of Godsmack could find fault in this album, still some have. Maybe it's because they secretly were expecting each successive album from GS to become more and more heavy? I think Godsmack has shown a progressive maturity on each new album. I like heavy, heavy music just for the record, but I must say there is such a thing as too heavy. Godsmack has never, nor do I believe will ever be too heavy. That is the balance which they maintain and to my pleasure is the distinctive draw that brings me to play each and every one of their albums over and over again. Don't give me those throaty screaming into the mic bull*hit of an excuse for singing that you can't even understand. Don't give me the two jab, patty cake, slap fest guitar crap that barely makes a rhythm. And despite what some people think the faster the music goes doen't mean it's heavier, give me a break. If you want speed metal, this album isn't for you. If you like just heavy metal, you will find some appealing tracks on it. However if you love hard rock, then this album is a must buy. Why? Because that's what this album is HARD ROCK, that's what Godsmack is . . hard rock with metal tendencies. Compared to the rest of their albums this one will not fail to please. There are a few slower song on here, but like Sully says "we ain't making no f*cking ballads anytime soon". If you've been trying to decide whether or not to get this album, quit thinking start acting, buy it!

Godsmack's first album was what I label a "halfer", there were some definite excellent songs present "Whatever", "Immune", "Voodoo", but the rest was weak lyrically and muddled with the electronics. When "Awake" came out I was very impressed and I still consider it one of the best hard rock albums available and I don't think there is a bad track on the album. I had high hopes for Godsmack at that point and then "Faceless" came out. Not even a "halfer" this time. A few good songs, but mostly rehashed sounding and I did not care for the new drum sound (a lot of "tinny" cymbals and high cracking snare, ala Staind). Maybe it was a glitch, a rush to put out something after long periods of touring. However, this new album is again BORING. I really like the reviewer who compared it to a bottle of shampoo and pointing out that Disturbed is much the same way. These are good bands, but they are doing the same thing over and over, and it just shows that they are not musically inclined enough to evolve. Yes AC/DC has used the same sound over and over, but they came up at a very different time in music and they now exist on the marketability of their name (much like the Stones), they know that they are putting out crap, but people will still come to see them live. Godsmack has a good sound, its just played out. I have held out hopes of for many bands in the past (Metallica, Rush, Sabbath, etc.), but they just got lazy and I ended up with a bunch of crappy CDs in my collection. Good luck to Godsmack, but I won't be buying anymore of their stuff.

This is a great album from Godsmack. Easily their most mature and diverse, it picks up where Faceless left off. Less dark and aggressive as some of their earlier stuff, that doesn't make it any less heavy. They're really stretching the envelope with the songwriting, and Sully's singing has never sounded better. Godsmack is really starting to come into their own, and are sounding less like the Metallica/Alice in Chains hybrid they souned like in the past. Speak is a great radio-friendly heavy tune, Shine Down has a great bluesy tinge without sounding wimpy, Hollow is surprisingly pretty, and Voodoo Too is a nice heavier sequel, haunting and seductive. Shannon Larkin's drumming is rock solid, and the drum sound shines throughout the record. My only dissapointment is Tommy's guitar solos. There's quite a bit of redundancy here, and not many new ideas from previous recordings. Which is unfortunate, because he's otherwise a very capable player. As great as Godsmack is on record, they're even better live. It's interesting to see where they'll be in a few years.

I think that the whole concept of this CD has much to do with Sully's life and the changes he went through in 2005. He has given up smoking and drinking, and I think it's a vital change that has improved song-writing. The whole CD sounds different than the previous ones. It's more fresh. They've changed amps, and while Faceless was dominated by Tony's leads, here are many vicious riffs from Sully. It is their most mature album, that brings new things into their sound, such as 'Shine Down' with this cool, old-school harmonica solo, 'Hollow' which is a touchy acoustic song, and the Lisa Guyer's voice composes very good with Sully's voice. 'Voodoo Too' also brings some magic(k) that is Godsmack's trademark, it sounds more rock, and the drums are heavier but the tribal influences can be well heard, I would risk claim that it's better than original 'Voodoo'. Another example of progression and maturity is the last track, which is kinda different than the previous Godsmack ending tracks. It is very slow, with unique atmosphere, and great lyrics. Sully Erna did very, very well producing this album. Lyrically, this album is their most mature and creative. I like to listen to this album from the beginning to the end, I don't skip any track. I think 'Speak' deserves #1 on Mainstream Rock, it maybe considered simple or not progressive, but it's catchy and it's a great choice for the first single. Godsmack is the only rock band that has gotten 13 singles in Top 10 Mainstream Rock tracks, and I wish them all the best. I would even risk saying that this CD overwhelms Metallica's efforts after Black Album, which is very strong claim, I think, for someone who listens to Metallica since 1994.

I've been a Godsmack fan ever since the first CD came out. I have to be honest though...with a few small exceptions, the music was getting rather boring. This CD is much different however. Most of it is `straight up, in your face rock and roll', with lots of great guitar work. Add to that, a couple of laid back tracks such as 'Mama' and 'Hollow', (which, by the way, Lisa Guyer's voice is superb on) and you have a well rounded CD. I would say that this is a must for any Godsmack fan

Well, they've done it again! I was sceptical that this album would be able to be as good as Faceless. But, as usual, Sully and the guys proved me wrong, making an album that only gets better the more and more I listen to it. The deal was sealed once I saw them live! The lyrics are more pure, the songs with the right amount of kick, not much but not too little, and they even have what could be considered a ballad and it even rocks, in Hollow, which also happens to be one of the best songs on the CD. Sully's vocals are pure, Tony's guitars along with Robbie's bass kick, and of course Shannon's solid drumming make this album one of the years best! Shannon's skills behind the skins are some of the best I've seen, since Neil Peart, and then when you combine his with Sully's, HOLY SHNIKES!!!! Good Job Guys, Keep Um Coming!!!!