GODSMACK - "1000HP" (2014)

GODSMACK - "1000HP"
(Running time: 49:33 minutes; 11 Songs)
("Spinefarm Records"; CD; 2014):

Nice sundays guys, so time to do something up here finally again. Next week is the first proper week of the new school year and so with starting it all up again and wanting to do it again in a proper way I really and honestly don't know how much time I will find the next days to do something up here because it will be an anyhow busy week with my family, my girfriend, our pets, this whole thing called work, sports (lifting weights and kickin' ass, ya know), friends and social contacts in general, yes, all this stuff called a "real life", you know, so yes, I'll try to bring up some new posts up here so that you have sort of at least a bit of enough fresh food for the coming days right now today up here. Okay, so yes, enough of the introducing smalltalk, here we go: First one today is my record-review on the so far still current and still newest GODSMACK album "1000HP" released via "SPINEFARM RECORDS" in 2014 (even the internet wants to tell me of 2013, but the backcover of my CD says 2014), and from this on we will work again up through the years of 2015 and 2016 up to a present 2017 record, we'll see how far we manage to do so today. So, okay, GODSMACK's "1000HP", as already mentioned, is right now the topic. Yes, it's already from 2014, but fuck it, hahaha, it's for all what I know still their somehwat actual output and that alone would sort of justify a review on it even today, but more important, I really think that this one went completly under the radar or was even sort of off-radar for the very most majority of people, so my Impression (not saying that this impression is fact and reality, but, yes, that's my impression) and I think that was and is pretty, hm, sort of sad because "1000HP" deservd and still deserves better. So, yes, here's my record-review on it. GODSMACK's last output before "1000HP" I was and still am aware of was "THE ORACLE" from 2010 and so four years after it "1000HP" hit the scene. I already talked about my impression that it went mostly off-radar, maybe it's just my impression, but I haven't read or heard much about it back then (not to talk about today) and I never saw much or any of GODSMACK around at least over here back then or since then and surely I never talked with anyone who anyhow cared about this one being finally out. I can't tell what's the reason for all this was/is, maybe GODSMACK aresn't anything "hot" for today's scene anymore or why-the-hell-else-ever, but I think it's sad - and I think GODSMACK in general and "1000HP" in particular deserv(ed) better. Back then when GODSMACK first ever hit the scene by the end of the 1990's I always thought that GODSMACK were always sort of wrong placed when everyone labeled them as New or Nu Metal, no, instead of KORN, COAL CHAMBER, or LIMP BIZKIT or so in my book always bands like ALICE IN CHAINS and maybe SOUNDGARDEN and even CREED and METALLICA's "LOAD"/"RELOAD" phase were much more influential for GODSMACK than all the other stuff and you always heard it in their music, especially in the tone, the emotions and emotionality, and also in the rhythm-arrangements. So you still do today, but surely GODSMACK anyhow evolved and developed quite a bit over the last sort of two decades or so. But the two biggest trademarks of their music are still there: The first class powerful and clear yet with strong force sung very charismatic vocals that add much tension and emotions to the songs; and the to the point played tight, sort of sinister toned and yet very rocking and hellish forceful grooving guitar playing, also adding to the strong emotions and the tight atmosphere of the tracks. The beefy and bulky, precise and tight rhythm section is then backing it all up massively and giving it a lot of punch. Yes, it's all here what you simply have to expect from a new GODSMACK release, but this time again they manage to put more fresh energy and sort of more honest attitude to it all so that they finally manage again to wipe away the bitter taste of staleness and lameness that harmed "THE ORACLE" really too strong back then, yes, so GODSMACK are definitely sort of back on track again, maybe or surely not with all songs but definitely with the bigger part of them, and that's just damn fine. It's very intense and the energylevel is pretty high again, the atmosphere and the emotions are very thick and it's all played perfectly to the point and really incredible tight. I only think that the overall tone is too similar dark, so that the taste of the whole album gets very similar at the end of the record, and also I would wish that as tight as the songwriting is, it gets in parts too monolithic and I would wish to see and hear GODSMACK adding again more fresh and exciting dynamics to their songs the next time around, some surprises, finally again. But anyhow, this is at the end of the day surely a good release that everyone into (heavy) Modern Rock and Modern Metal with an Alternative flair to it all should at least definitely check it out because songs like the titletrack "1000HP", "WHAT'S NEXT?", "GENERATION DAY", "LOCKED & LOADED", "LIVING IN THE GRAY", and "NOTHING COMES EASY" will definitely make you go nuts. Not all is gold, there's also a bunch of silver and even bronze on this here but there's also a lot of gold on it at the end of the day. GODSMACK are delivering with "1000HP" a good one and a much better and fresher one than with its predecessor "THE ORACLE" from 2010 and they seem to be (finally) back on the right track again. So, yes, give this one a fair try, finally, in case you shouldn't have done it so far, because it offers also quite a bunch of grapping and entertaining stuff on it. Pretty good lyrics, a great artwork, and a powerful production-sound we get as well.

(7 of 10 points)

http://godsmack.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

GODSMACK - "GENERATION DAY" (2014, "1000HP")