“IV”
Godsmack
Republic/Universal
2 LP
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
“IV”, Godsmack’s fourth studio album is the latest features the #1 rock hit “Speak” and the #4 hits “The Enemy” and “Shine Down.” It was the first Godsmack album produced solely by Sully Erna, marking a significant milestone in the band’s journey. The album sold 211,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release, debuting at #1 on the Billboard chart. It also debuted at #4 on the Top Canadian Albums and #1 on the Top Internet Albums, solidifying its place in music history.
Featuring remastered audio and debuting on 2LP 45rpm vinyl, Godsmack “IV” harkens back to the thunderous arc of multiplatinum masterpieces like their 1998 self-titled debut album, 2000s Awake, and 2003 Faceless. The remastered audio brings new life to the music, making it a must-have for any Godsmack fan. In addition to classic black vinyl, the album is also available in limited edition marble vinyl as an online exclusive.
Packaged in a heavy weight gatefold sleeve with a mixture of gloss and flat graphics “IV” is the latest album from the Godsmack catalog to receive a vinyl release. Following suite of previous vinyl releases “Awake” and “Faceless”, “IV” features a fresh remaster for its firs time vinyl release and is available in either standard black pressings and a limited edition marble pressing. For our review we checked out the standard black version which just like its predecessors sounded great! The vinyls heavy weight pressing combined with a fresh remaster provided a rich listening experience that remains clear and articulate at both low and high volumes. Personal highlights included of course the albums hits singles “Speak” and “The Enemy” along with “Livin In Sin”, “Voodoo Too” and the albums hidden track “Safe and Sound” which just like any hidden track is omitted from both the album sleeve and disc label but pops up just when you think the album is done.
Where the release falls short is in the same areas of past releases. Aside from a remaster (which more times than not needs to be done anyways for a vinyl release) there is nothing new in the way of any bonus content or material. I feel like if you are going to put out a re-release of an album, especially one that has sold as many copies as “IV” has then you have to make it more enticing for long time fans otherwise it just comes off looking like a quick cash grab that is trying to capitalize on the rejuvenated vinyl market. If you are a Godsmack completist then it goes without saying that you will surely want to add this to your collection as the vinyl mix does bring a new sonic element to the release however if you are a more casual listener that maybe bought the album when it was first released then there might not be enough here to validate a second purchase.
IV Tracklist
Side A
Livin’ In Sin
Speak
The Enemy
Side B
Shine Down
Hallow
No Rest For The Wicked
Side C
Bleeding Me
Voodoo Too
Temptation
Side D
Mama
On Rainy Day
Safe and Sound (Hidden Track)