Godsmack

Hailing from the Boston area, hard rock outfit Godsmack weaves mystical imagery and percussive tribal rhythms into a sonic approach shaped by Alice in Chains and Metallica. Emerging amid the late-'90s post-grunge and nu-metal surge, the quartet launched its career with a brooding, ominous self-titled debut. Across subsequent years the musicians refined their approach, folding classic rock and heavy metal elements into mid-period works such as The Oracle and IV. After frontman Sully Erna pursued solo endeavors in the late 2010s, Godsmack reemerged revitalized on the sleek When Legends Rise (2018) and the 2023 release Lighting Up the Sky.

Erna, guitarist Tony Rambola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Tommy Stewart established the band in 1995. Following the 1997 appearance of their unpolished demo All Wound Up, Godsmack inked a deal with Universal, which reissued the recording in 1998 as a self-titled album containing several fresh cuts; by then Stewart, who had exited mid-1997 and been replaced by Joe d'Arco, rejoined the lineup. The quartet's following grew steadily, resulting in gold certification for Godsmack in 1999, the same year the musicians joined the Ozzfest tour. The album surpassed three million copies sold by the following year, fueled by the hit singles "Whatever," "Voodoo," and "Keep Away." In 2000 the group returned to Ozzfest and issued its second studio album, Awake, that autumn. Awake garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for the track "Vampires" in January 2001 and reached double-platinum status by March.

Their momentum continued with the March 2002 single "I Stand Alone," which amplified attention for the film The Scorpion King. While the song sustained strong modern rock radio airplay through the summer, founding drummer Tommy Stewart departed in June. Produced by David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Tool, Mudvayne), the album Faceless arrived in April 2003 and introduced ex-Amen drummer Shannon Larkin. The all-acoustic Other Side surfaced in spring 2004. Two years afterward, Erna took the producer's chair for IV, a set of original material that topped the chart while preserving the band's signature weight and broadening its range with the assistance of engineer Andy Johns, known for his work on Led Zeppelin's IV. A greatest-hits package, Good Times, Bad Times: 10 Years of Godsmack, followed in 2007, succeeded by the band's fifth full-length, The Oracle, in 2010; that release became their third number-one album. Also in 2010, Erna released his first solo effort, Avalon.

Godsmack next delivered its inaugural live album, Live & Inspired, in 2012, presenting concert renditions of prior material alongside additional covers. In summer 2014 the hard-charging sixth studio album 1000HP appeared, reaching number three on the U.S. charts. After touring in support, the band issued the standalone single "Inside Yourself." In 2016 Godsmack parted ways with Universal/Republic and aligned with BMG, while Erna put out his second solo album, Hometown Life. The group resurfaced in spring 2018 with its seventh studio effort, When Legends Rise. Working with producer Erik Ron (Motionless in White, Issues, blessthefall), the polished LP featured the singles "When Legends Rise" and "Bulletproof." The hard-hitting track "Surrender" emerged in 2022 and later appeared on the full-length Lighting Up the Sky. Issued in 2023, the powerful eleven-song collection marked the band's eighth and reportedly final studio album.