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FACELESS
HHighly anticipated? Sure.
Highly hyped? Definitely.
Highly predictable? Oh yeah.
Now, just so you don't think I'm going to rip it to shreds, the new GODSMACK disc, Faceless, is a solid collection of hard rock tunes, and is definitely going to appeal to fans of the band. It is, however, very one-dimensional. Sully Erna has found a formula that works, and he's sticking with it. All of the songs on Faceless could have been on their self-titled debut, or Awake. They're Godsmack songs, and if that's what the fans want to hear, then by God, Sully's going to let you have twelve more tracks of it.
The first single, "Straight Out Of Line" is 100% Godmsack. Thunderous, heavy, crunchy, and Erna's voice is as grizzled as it's ever been. "Faceless" is another superb song showcasing the Godsmack formula for songwriting. "Serenity" has single written all over it. Very much like "Voodoo", this track shows that the band can just as easily creep you out with a song as they can rattle your fillings loose. What Godsmack disc would be complete without a song titled "I Fucking Hate You"? That's right. None of 'em. Sully loves to tell us to go fuck ourselves with his music, doesn't he? "I Stand Alone" from the Scorpion King soundtrack is also included on this disc, giving Faceless a good amount of hooky, angry rock songs filled with pissed off lyrics.
Faceless is a great Godsmack disc, but it sounds JUST like every other disc they've released. There's only so much longer they can rely on their signature style to produce hit records before it becomes stale. I'm not saying they need to veer off the track completely, but they should make some attempt to develop their sound, so that they sound like they're growing with each album. Repeating the same thing album after album is just going to ensure that Godsmack is going to be hitting the State Fair circuit in five years.
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