Godsmack
may never garner the kind of praise that's bestowed upon its obvious influences (
Metallica
,
Alice in Chains
Tool
), but the hard-working Boston quartet has managed to stay at the top of the
alternative metal
heap for nearly eight years.
IV
, produced by frontman
Sully Erna
, doesn't stray too far from the formula, relying on big midtempo brooders and heavy, drop-D riffs to work in the usual themes of loneliness, betrayal, and the overuse of the word "bleeding." For the most part it's cliche done well -- the record opens with an audio collage of children saying their prayers before bed -- and the band can turn it up to 11 with the best of them. Stadium-sized cuts like
"Speak,"
"Enemy,"
and
"Temptation"
are sure to please the masses -- they even bring out the vocoder for
"No Rest for the Wicked"
-- and fans brought into the fold with 2004's acoustic
Other Side
EP will eat up the pensive, mandolin-led
"Hallow,"
but there's little growth to be found, resulting in a textbook-executed slice of commercial aggression. ~ James Christopher Monger