Andrew’s Judgmental Album Reviews: Godsmack – Lighting Up The Sky (2023)

Most people who follow wrestling have an idea who Godsmack is. Between WWE using their songs for SummerSlam 2006 and Super Showdown 2020, The Enemy was also in Smackdown vs Raw 2007. That’s also overlooking the whole Scorpion King movie helping to vault them further into mainstream with I Stand Alone.

There we go, a fairly well known band with a new album for the first time in 5 years. Lets see if they return to any semblance of their older sound that put them on the map, or if we continue with “Dad Rock” staples. Also apparently, Sully said in an interview this is most likely Godsmack’s last original studio album. So that adds a level of excitement for me to see exactly what kind of impression they leave us with.

Let’s dive into Godsmack’s potentially final original studio album!

Godsmack is: Sully Erna (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Percussion), Tony Rombola (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Robbie Merrill ( Bass, Backing Vocals), Shannon Larkin (Drums, Percussion)

• Artist: Godsmack
• Album: Lighting Up The Sky
• Label: BMG Rights Management
• Total Track Time: 49:31

You and I is a surprisingly sweet song basically about taking on the world together. Musically and even a few lyrical sprinkles give that bluesy ZZ Top vibe. While this doesn’t have the ferocity I was expecting for the first song, its very cool, it builds well and sets an interesting tone. Red, White & Blue well okay…they are from Massachusetts right? SO this makes sense. It’s a faster tempo, Stone Temple Pilots, style of groovy rock. Now the lyrics are interesting because they’re obviously about the last few years of lies, fear and anger; but the crux is standing by the red, white & blue. So its surprisingly patriotic. Its self aware enough to point out short comings, but still stand firm on pride. Which I can respect. Surrender starts with a riff that is going to annoy the hell out of me because it sounds so much like another one. But I can’t find it. It has a distinct early 00s distorted flair that made me think Trapt or TRUSTcompany. But aside from being driven crazy by an ear worm, the song is actually quite catchy and has enough of the Godsmack heaviness to not feel like a complete slice of radio rock mediocrity. What About Me okay well this is a song I definitely relate to lyrically more than I’d like. That classic feeling of putting yourself out there for other people and/or other things and getting nothing in return. It has a building tempo so it gets more and more frustrated, which I appreciate. “So where’s my resolution? And where’s my better days?, All my life I’ve given up everything, So what about me?, What about me?”.

Truth is their first piano ballad that really captured me since Serenity. This is a fantastic depiction of a toxic relationship, from the side of the person trying to fix it regardless of the uphill battle. Great imagery in the lyrics, a pain and desperation in the arrangement…just a nearly perfect dark ballad. Hell’s Not Dead is one of those songs where I personally don’t feel the music matches the lyrics. I get the whole “Hell’s not dead, it’s what I’m living in”, but this has far too much of a bar fight musical tone. Its a bit more up-tempo than I’d like, which is probably because of the heaviness of the tone from the last few songs, they wanted more rebellious. I just don’t think it quite blends well. Soul on Fire doesn’t really seem to contain a lot of subtlety in the lyrics. Its definitely a story of really wanting the object of affection for the song. The faster tempo works here for the attraction and adrenaline rush concepts, so its a fun song with a very apt arrangement. Is it mostly radio rock? Yes. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun. Let’s Go has a nice rhythm driven groove with a great drum beat, and also gives the vibe of this being their last non-Greatest Hits album. “Let’s go, With so many miles behind me, Let’s go, This road is winding down around my neck, I’m played out in so many ways, I paid all my dues so I’ll be ok, Let’s go, This road has finally drowned me” – lyrically they’ve reached the end of the road, now I just have to hope the album sticks the landing or I’ll probably be questioning why this was 8th and not last.

Best of Times tries to start off with the slower echoed vocal similar to Voodoo. Lyrically its really just a love letter/giant thank you to the fans. Still throwing in some lines about closing the chapter, so it’s an interesting concept. While the song itself bores me a bit, they tried to tap back into the older sound to say thank you. So I appreciate the artistic stretch, the song is just very average to me. Growing Old is again a title that doesn’t lend to a lot of questions. The lyrics could be directly in reference to missing time with a child, but its a nearly country western take on growing old. The pace is building and filled with darkness, its just very nicely done all things considered. Lighting Up The Sky actually kicks off with the final few riffs of Growing Old, so the transition is a little unexpected. The refrain instrumentation is a little quicker than the verses, but that also works well for the contrast of looking back on life. “Lighting up the sky, Burning through a life, If I had only known, When I was so young, Never taking time, Never take it slow, But would I be alive, Or would I ever know, If I wasn’t lighting up the sky?” – with the last few songs all having a similar tone of coming to an end and growing old; this one being a retrospective to end on a high note is a cool concept. The song itself even ends with a few samples of their classic songs.

Now I’ll immediately lead with, I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. Probably my favorite album of theirs since Faceless (2003). I still have a few issues with not liking some of the arrangements/presentation, but generally speaking its a pretty solid album. They definitely don’t really have much of that edgy Nu Metal/Alternative Metal vibes they did 20 years ago, but people mature. This felt like a logical progression for their entire sound and laid things to rest without many questions.

So if this really is their final studio album, I think they did right by everything. A little bit of aggression found its way in, bluesy rock, a great dark piano ballad and the last few songs said thank you or made amends to many different facets of the journey. The whole album being more of a love letter to their career is an interesting take, but I’m here for it. Good stuff Godsmack.

Final Judgment: 8.15/10