Godsmack: Sold-Out Shows, Critical Acclaim, New ‘Greed’ Video Co-DIrected By Frontman

FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/ MAGGIE WANG/ MARIE REMELIUS/ MITCH SCHNEIDER

GODSMACK:
SOLD-OUT SHOWS, CRITICAL ACCLAIM, NEW ‘GREED’ VIDEO CO-DIRECTED BY FRONTMAN
SULLY ERNA AND UPCOMING DVD/HOME VIDEO PROJECTS

GODSMACK keep kicking it up a notch.

* In one sold-out show after another on their North American tour which launched February 26 in Durham, NH and wraps up April 29 in Vancouver, BC, the band are fortifying their bond with their fans in larger venues (5,000-8,000 seaters) and earning critical acclaim for their electrifying performances and imaginative, vivid stage production.

* After the first leg of the tour concludes, GODSMACK will head overseas to Europe for a major arena tour with Limp Bizkit. This high-profile trek is scheduled to kick off May 16 in Amsterdam and will travel to 21 different cities in five weeks, including two-night stands in cites such as Milan, Lisbon and London.

* GODSMACK will return to the U.S. mid-July for the much-anticipated launch of their first-ever major outdoor amphitheater tour. Deftones will join GODSMACK for what will surely be the most exciting hard rock tour in the coming months.

* While the title track of GODSMACK‘s platinum Republic/Universal album AWAKE continues its run on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for over 27 weeks (it peaked at #1 and remains in the Top 5), the follow-up single “Greed” is already in the Top 20 only a few weeks after release.

* Frontman SULLY ERNA co-directed the video for “Greed” with Troy Smith (who also lensed the “Awake” video). Showcasing GODSMACK‘s humorous side, the video pits the band and other apartment tenants against a money-hungry slum lord. In a METAL EDGE (May 2001) cover story, SULLY explains his vision for the video: “It has somewhat of a David Lee Roth-ish feel to it. The slum lord [is] really over-exaggerated–the gold tooth that shines, and that kind of thing.”

* Later this year (dates TBA), fans should be on the lookout for two exciting projects from GODSMACK: a DVD/home video release of their sold-out homecoming Worcester Centrum show (March 2, 2001) where they performed in front of 15,000 rabid fans; as well as a DVD/home video documentary of life on the road with GODSMACK. Of the Worcester show, Steve Morse of The Boston Globe wrote: “Godsmack slayed the crowd with a shattering display of over-the-top hard rock…Godsmack’s instrumentalists kicked up a ferocious storm,” while the Worcester Telegram and Gazette’s Roberta Fusaro lauded: “Godsmack rattled the arena rafters…brutally energetic show–riffs by the ton and an underlying groove.”

* On the road, frontman SULLY ERNA, guitarist TONY ROMBOLA, bassist ROBBIE MERRILL and drummer TOMMY STEWART are playing powerful sets that mix their trademark heavy grooves with songs like “Spiral” and “Voodoo” where they stretch out musically with snaky instrumental passages. Beyond the musical dexterity, GODSMACK have created a startling stage production that utilizes film footage, animation and pyrotechnics with a backdrop incorporating state-of-the-art lighting, stone columns, gargoyles and igniting torches. Describing the live show in a recent review, Jennifer Christman of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted: “Godsmack’s set was as intense to look at as it was to listen to.”

* In addition, there’s a lot of excitement in store for GODSMACK in their hometown of Boston, MA. Leading the list of nominees, GODSMACK received seven Boston Music Award nominations including nods for “Act of the Year,” “Best Rock Band” and “Male Vocalist of the Year” for frontman SULLY ERNA. The band’s platinum-certified AWAKE (Republic/Universal) is up for “Album of the Year” while its first single and video–the #1 mainstream rock track “Awake”–is nominated for “Song of the Year,” “Single of the Year” and “Video of the Year.” The 14th annual Boston Music Awards are set to take place April 19 at the Orpheum Theatre.

GODSMACK‘s in-progress tour dates are as follows:

###