IV (Godsmack album)

IV
Studio album by Godsmack
Publication (s)	2006
Label (s)	Republic Records
Genre (s)	Hard rock , post-grunge
Title (number)	12
running time	52 min 54 s
occupation	Singing : Sully Erna Guitar / vocals: Tony Rombola Bass : Robbie Merrill Drums : Shannon Larkin
production	Sully Erna & Andy Johns
Studio (s)	Spiral Recording Studio, Hollywood
chronology Faceless (2003) IV The Oracle (2010)

IV is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Godsmack . It was released on May 19, 2006 via Republic Records and reached number one on the US album charts . The album was awarded a gold record in the USA .

Emergence

Before the band started working on the album, singer Sully Erna had a difficult time. His relationship was in jeopardy, he was facing a lawsuit over his home, and he had serious drinking problems. Erna faced these problems and drew inspiration for the lyrics on the album from this process. For the first time, the band could write an album in peace and quiet without going on tour or having to meet a deadline. The band signed Andy Johns, who has already worked with bands such as Led Zeppelin , the Rolling Stones and Van Halen , as producer . The recordings took place in the Spiral Recording Studio. The band wrote 35 songs and recorded 17 of them. Erna's ex-girlfriend Lisa Guyer and Dropbox singer John Kosco appeared as guest musicians . A music video was shot for the first single “Speak” .

background

Track list
Livin 'in Sin - 4:39 Speak - 3:57 The Enemy - 4:07 Shine Down - 5:01 Hollow - 4:32 No Rest for the Wicked - 4:37 Bleeding Me - 3:37 Voodoo Too - 5:26 Temptation - 4:06 Mom - 5:14 One Rainy Day - 7:21 am

Singer Sully Erna compares IV with the "light at the end of the tunnel". His texts are about speaking the truth and coming to terms with yourself. "Livin 'in Sin" and "The Enemy" are about how Erna tells his girlfriend about his infidelity. "Shine Down" is about the fact that everyone makes mistakes in their lives. The little girl who says a prayer on "Livin 'in Sin" is Sully Erna's daughter.

The album title not only refers to the fact that it is the fourth studio album by the band, but also includes the band's own humor from the backstage area .

"We have this security guy. (...) He's another Boston guy. And in Boston it's "fou". They don't really have the "R". It's not "four," it's "fou." He'd be hanging around backstage and chicks would walk by and he would rate them from one to 10. (...) It was always you were a 10 or a fou. (...) And then the funniest one, this guy walked by with a chick on each arm and he goes, "Hey, two fous don't make an eight!" So when it came up (...) everybody was like, "Fou!" (...) We just thought it's fitting. "

- Shannon Larkin

“We had this security guard from Boston. And in Boston, people say "fou". They don't actually have the letter "R". It's not "four" but "fou". He always hung out backstage and rated the women passing by from one to ten. But women always got a ten or a "fou". Once he came by with two women in his arms and said, "Hey, two" fous "doesn't make eight." When we thought about the album title everyone said "fou"! We just thought it would fit. "

- Free translation

reception

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

IV   US 1 05/13/2006 (27 weeks)   DE 72 06/05/2006 (1 week)   AT 65 06/02/2006 (1 week)   CH 100 05/07/2006 (1 week)

Singles

Speak   US 85 04/15/2006 (3 weeks)

IV received mostly positive reviews from the specialist press. Matthias Weckmann from the German magazine Metal Hammer stated that the band “hasn't developed much in the last three years, but has fine-tuned details”, but Godsmack attested a “sensational song quality” and gave six out of seven points. Bastian Greb from the online magazine Bloodchamber found on IV "six absolutely terrific songs that you want to hear again and again and five titles that you don't really need" and awarded 7.5 out of ten points. On the other hand, Christoph Schwarze from the online magazine Plattentests criticized the fact that Godsmack had consistently not developed further and awarded four out of ten points.

IV sold about 211,000 copies in the US in the first week after its release, reaching number one on the US album charts like its predecessor, Faceless . In Canada , IV reached number four on the album charts. In Germany the album reached number 56, in Austria number 65 and in Switzerland number 100. The single Speak reached number 85 on the US single charts. IV received a gold record in the USA for over 500,000 units sold .

The US online magazine Loudwire published a list of the ten best songs by Godsmack in April 2015. The song Speak reached number nine on this list .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Conny Schiffbauer: "Longing for Mutti". In: Rock Hard , June 2006 issue, page 75
2. ↑ ^{a b} universalrepublic.com: Godsmack ( Memento of February 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ Greg Maki: 'Livin in Sin' with Godsmack's Shannon Larkin. Live Metal, accessed February 15, 2017 . 
4. ↑ Chart sources: DE / AT / CH / US albums
5. ↑ US singles
6. ^ Matthias Weckmann: Godsmack - IV . In: Metal Hammer, July 2006, p. 102
7. ↑ Bastian Greb: Godsmack - IV.Bloodchamber, accessed on February 15, 2017 . 
8. ↑ Christoph Schwarze: Godsmack - IV. Plate Tests, accessed on February 15, 2017 . 
9. ↑ Godsmack Earns Second No. 1 with 'IV'. Billboard , accessed February 10, 2017 . 
10. ^ Godsmack - Billboard Canadian Albums. Billboard, accessed February 12, 2017 . 
11. ↑ Gold & Platinum. RIAA , accessed February 10, 2017 . 
12. ↑ Jeff Cornell: 10 Best Godsmack Songs. Loudwire , accessed February 15, 2017 .  Heff C