May 10, 2001

Godsmack : Awake

Derivative drivel from Alice In Chains-alike grungers

2 / 10 Don't laugh, but Godsmack's career began as a tribute band to heroin-afflicted grunge metal group Alice In Chains.

Named after an Alice In Chains song and fronted by a devotee
to the ludicrous religion of Wicca, the group have achieved a modicum of fame by bottom-feeding off the Ozzfest tour franchise - they're the group who'll play before either Primus or Static-X. Sadly, that's all the interesting stuff out of the way, because there really isn't a more derivative and generic excuse for a heavy rock band in the world right now as Godsmack.

While their dedication to their fans or their genuine love of bad heavy metal cannot be doubted, the group's latest album is bland beyond belief and contains neither a single original riff or lyric, having taken all of its ideas from the collected works of Metallica and, you guessed it, Alice In Chains.

"Sick of my life/I'm tired of everything/In my life" growls Sully Erner on album opener 'Sick Of Life'. If you can manage to finish all 11 dreary tracks that's exactly how you will be feeling.

Still, they're meant to be quite good live.

Andy Capper

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