Godsmack’s Awake

I am bugged every time I listen to this. Sure the simple tunes are catchy and the rhythm has a heavy groove that could illicit the most basic instincts of head bobbing in the most boring times of your life. But that’s been done before. Every generation has their icons. Platinum selling Godsmack is one of American radio’s heavy icon. I am not really bugged by this and I don‘t give a crap about icons. What gets me is how this icon is derivative of every lowest common denominator of heavy music. That it is also all summed up and regurgitated for the younger audience as if they didn’t know any better is another thing.. Sure I can understand that old people cannot appeal to the young fans. But there are a lot of younger bands out there that can compose something a little bit more diverse than nursery rhymes.

Awake’s simple percussive riffs and low end chords not only sound like its been done before, but its so damn simple its moronic. All the gritty grunts and groans are simple sentences. The basal, tribal feeling you say? Read the simple lyrics. Imagine the stereotyped thoughts of modern man: “BEER...WOMAN.“ The guys can’t even drum roll. The guys can’t even play a lick. Copy Alice in Chains! Copy Metallica! Copy Bush!

No distinction. No style. No identity. Just use the latest riff styles and groan moans, just use the latest distortion boxes and seven string models, just show us what we want to see and hear - you are now a star!

(in larger type for easier reading...)

Score is 2/5

by Alzn