Godsmack, the headliner of this year’s Rock On The Range at Crew Stadium, just released its first album in four years, and the results are what the band’s fans were expecting.
For those aficionados who were bothered by the relatively timid nature of the band’s last release, “IV,” “The Oracle” represents a relapse to the group’s meaner days of old. Without hearing a single track, listeners can pick up on the album’s attitude just by reading the opening track’s title: “Cryin’ Like a Bitch.” The song, which is also the first single, features vocalist Sully Erna bluntly putting down the song’s subject with the aforementioned line.
The lyrics and themes may not be the most sophisticated, but Godsmack is just sticking to what it knows. The album has an even heavier tone than the band’s first releases, but the riffs and song structures are undeniably cut from the same mold the band has been working with for years.
The album, as is the Godsmack tradition, features one track played in a tribal percussion style, much like the band’s most popular single “Voodoo.” The song “What If?” incorporates more electric influence than its predecessors, however.
Overall, those who grew comfortable with Godsmack’s earlier tendencies will be satisfied. Those looking for something new should wait until the next album.
