Faceless

This article is about the album. For the Red song, see Faceless (song).
For other uses, see Faceless (disambiguation).
Faceless
Studio album by Godsmack
Released April 8, 2003
Recorded The Hit Factory Criteria 2002, Miami, Florida
Genre Alternative metal, heavy metal, nu metal
Length 47:19
Label Universal, Republic
Producer Sully Erna
David Bottrill
Godsmack chronology
Awake
(2000)		 Faceless
(2003)		 The Other Side
(2004)
Singles from Faceless
  1. "I Stand Alone"
    Released: May 18, 2002
  2. "Straight Out of Line"
    Released: March 13, 2003
  3. "Serenity"
    Released: 2003
  4. "Re-Align"
    Released: March 16, 2004
  5. "I Am"
    Released: May 2004

Faceless is the third studio album by the band Godsmack. The album introduced drummer Shannon Larkin, former drummer for Ugly Kid Joe.[1] The album was released on April 8, 2003.

The songs "Straight Out of Line" and "I Stand Alone" had Grammy nominations for 'Best Rock Song' and, 'Best Hard Rock Performance' respectively.[2]

Recording and lyrical themes

The writing and recording process, according to Erna, was a self-contained one in which the band holed up in a rented home in Miami, Florida and wrote without distraction or influence from the rock music scene going on around them.[3]

On the subject of the album, Erna told LAUNCH Media: "It's a bit more musical at times, it's a bit more melodic, but it's still raw," Erna said. "It's still tough. It's still got that Godsmack edge to it, but it's not quite as angry, maybe, as the past stuff has been. But it's still got its rawness...Well, I shouldn't say that. There's a couple of nasty fuckin' songs on this record. But all in all I think it's just really, I think, some well written stuff. I'm really proud of it."[4] Erna found inspiration after reading Rush drummer Neil Peart's book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road,[5] and penned the new song "Serenity", which Merrill says is similar in motif to the tribal-drum sound of Godsmack's past hit "Voodoo".

Release

Faceless debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 269,000 copies in its first week,[6] and the album would go on to sell over one million copies in the United States, Faceless beat Linkin Park's Meteora, which dropped to number two on the Billboard 200. Faceless also debuted at number nine on the Top Canadian Albums and at number one on the Top Internet Albums and remained at the specific chart for two weeks.

The lead single "Straight Out of Line" received a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance." The award went to Evanescence's single, "Bring Me to Life".[7]

Erna remembered that the band was rehearsing for the tour a few months back when they got the news that the album had debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. "Well, we were in West Palm Beach, Florida rehearsing for this tour and the call came in and it blew my mind because we worked really hard on this record and we wanted people to love it and we wanted it to do well," Erna says. "But we had no idea that it would be the Number One album in the country and it's very gratifying to know that you're rewarded at times for the hard work you do."[8]

The song "I Fucking Hate You" appeared in the T.V. spots for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, albeit an instrumental version.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(50/100)[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Alternative Press[9]
Amazon[11]
antiMUSIC[12]
Blender[9]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[13]
KNAC[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
Sputnikmusic[16]
Ultimate Guitar[17]

The album received generally mixed reviews upon release from critics, scoring 50 on Metacritic.[9] Positive reviews came from the Alternative Press who referred to Faceless as "Unflinchingly heavy, this midtempo metal won't disappoint believers." and E! Online who stated it "Rages and riffs with epic drama."[9] Negative reviews focused on the guitar riffs and vocals. AllMusic gave the album two and a half stars out of five, stating that the album "grooves more fluidly than Awake, but the band still hasn't managed to locate the pop hooks that made their debut a success."[9] Entertainment Weekly criticized the "staccato riffing, constipated vocals and generic, rage-against-the-kidney-stone angst."[13]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Straight Out of Line"  Erna 4:19
2. "Faceless"  Erna 3:35
3. "Changes"  Erna, Rombola 4:19
4. "Make Me Believe"  Erna 4:08
5. "I Stand Alone"  Erna 4:06
6. "Re-Align"  Erna 4:20
7. "I Fucking Hate You"  Erna 4:07
8. "Releasing the Demons"  Erna 4:12
9. "Dead and Broken"  Erna 4:11
10. "I Am"  Erna 3:59
11. "The Awakening"  Erna 1:29
12. "Serenity"  Erna, Rombola 4:34
Total length:
 47:19
UK bonus tracks
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
13. "Keep Away" (Live)Erna 7:42
14. "Awake" (Live)Erna 5:39
Total length:
 60:40

Personnel
  • Peter Lubin - merchandising
  • Bob Ludwig - mastering
  • Rod MacSween - booking
  • Ben Sanders - assistant engineer, Pro Tools
  • Kurt Schneck - crew
  • Frank Sgambelone - crew
  • Kevin Sheehy - assistant
  • "Viggy" Vignola - programming
  • Richie Voutselas - crew

Chart positions

Album
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart[18] 9
Dutch Albums Chart[19] 98
German Albums Chart[20] 70
New Zealand Albums Chart[21] 36
UK Albums Chart[22] 156
The Billboard 200[18] 1
Top Internet Albums 1
Singles
Year Song Chart Peak
position
2002 "I Stand Alone" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
Alternative Songs[23] 20
Dutch Singles Chart[19] 70
German Singles Chart[24] 98
2003 "Straight Out of Line" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
Alternative Songs[23] 9
Billboard Hot 100[25] 73
"Serenity" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 7
2004 Alternative Songs[23] 10
"Re-Align" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 3
Alternative Songs[23] 28

Certification

Faceless was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America a mere five weeks after the album's release in April.[26]

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[27] Gold 50,000
United States (RIAA)[28] Platinum 1,500,000[29]

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Country Date Label
United States April 8, 2003 Universal
United Kingdom April 22, 2003 Universal International

References

  1. ↑ "Godsmack Ready For 'Faceless' Release". Yahoo! Music. 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  2. ↑ "Ken Phillips Publicity Group - Godsmack". Ken Phillips Publicity Group. 2006-07-11. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  3. ↑ "Godsmack... No Longer Faceless". Universal Motown Records Group. 2003-02-05. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  4. ↑ "Godsmack To Debut At Number One". Yahoo! Music. 2003-04-16. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  5. ↑ "Godsmack Set 'Serenity' As Next Single". Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-05-23. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  6. ↑ "Godsmack: 'Faceless' Debut At #1". Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-04-16. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  7. ↑ "Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
  8. ↑ "Godsmack Releases 'Serenity'". Yahoo! Music. 2003-07-01. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Godsmack : Faceless (2003)". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  10. ↑ Allmusic Review
  11. ↑ Amazon Review
  12. ↑ antiMUSIC Review
  13. 1 2 Willman, Chris (11 April 2003). "Faceless Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  14. ↑ KNAC Review
  15. ↑ Hoard, Christian (17 April 2003). "RollingStone.com: Recordings: Godsmack, Faceless". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 August 2003. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  16. ↑ Sputnikmusic Review
  17. ↑ ultimate-guitar Review
  18. 1 2 "Faceless - Godsmack". Billboard.
  19. 1 2 "Godsmack - Awake". dutchcharts.nl.
  20. ↑ "Charverfolgung / Godsmack / Longplay" (in German). PhonoNet.
  21. ↑ "Godsmack - Faceless". charts.org.nz.
  22. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Gina G - GZA". Zobbel.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Godsmack Alternative Songs Chart History". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "Charverfolgung / Godsmack / Single" (in German). PhonoNet.
  25. ↑ "Godsmack Hot 100 Chart History". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Godsmack's 'Faceless' Certified Platinum!". Blabbermouth.Net. Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-05-17. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
  27. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Godsmack – Faceless". Music Canada.
  28. ↑ "American album certifications – Godsmack – Faceless". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  29. ↑ "Universal Republic Community | Biography". universalrepublic.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
Preceded by
Meteora by Linkin Park		 Billboard 200 number-one album
April 20, 2003–April 26, 2003 		Succeeded by
Thankful by Kelly Clarkson
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