Faceless

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

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
Studio	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
"I Stand Alone" Released: May 18, 2002 "Straight Out of Line" Released: March 13, 2003 "Serenity" Released: June 24, 2003 "Re-Align" Released: March 16, 2004 "I Am" Released: May 10, 2004

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 second 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.[9]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(50/100)[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
antiMUSIC	[12]
Entertainment Weekly	C−[13]
KNAC	[14]
Rolling Stone	[15]
Ultimate Guitar	[16]

The album received generally mixed reviews from critics upon its release. It holds a score of 50/100 on review aggregate site Metacritic, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[10]

Many critics had mixed feelings towards the album. Wade Kergan, writing for AllMusic, awarded the album 2.5 stars and commented that although the album has “successful moments,” it lacks the “pop hooks” of their debut and often sounds “sorely underwritten.” [11] Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Willman was similarly lukewarm towards the album, calling it “the same staccato riffing, constipated vocals, and generic, rage-against-the-kidney-stone angst.” [13] Rolling Stone’s Christian Hoard also denigrated the album, awarding it 2 stars and commenting that although the music “well-constructed,” it “sounds like a nightmare that's more played-out than scary.” [15]

Some critics were more positive regarding the album, however. ‘’AntiMusic’’’s review felt that the group “hit(s) a little harder” and praised the album as Godsmack’s “strongest effort to date,” awarding the album 4 stars [12] KNAC also awarded the album 4 stars and called the album “good loud aggressive heavy (slightly) pop-rock.” [14]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(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.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Keep Away" (Live)	Erna	7:42
14.	"Awake" (Live)	Erna	5:39
Total length:			60:40

Personnel

Godsmack Sully Erna – rhythm guitar, lead vocals, producer, additional drums, talk-box on "I Stand Alone" Tony Rombola – lead guitar, back-up vocals Robbie Merrill – bass Shannon Larkin – drums, percussion Additional musicians Tommy Stewart - drums on "I Stand Alone" Management Paul Geary, Ron Valeri & Robin Zaragoza – Management for Global Artist Management Scott Adair & Sean Ballhorn – Business Management for London & Company John Branigan & Craig Mogil – US Booking Agents for The William Morris Agency Rod MacSween - International Booking for ITB Peter Lubin, Tom Donnell, Dhenys Lau & Scott Faraday - merchandising for Giant Merchandising Elliot Groffman & Janine Natter - Legal for Codikow Carroll Guido & Groffman, LLP Andy Tavel & David Kokakis - Legal for Greenberg Traurig LLP

Production David Bottrill – Producer, engineer, mixing Kent Hertz - Additional engineering, Pro Tools Marc Stephen Lee - Assistant engineer, Pro Tools Ben Meeengya - Assistant engineer, additional Pro tools Bob Ludwig – Mastering Kurt Schneck - crew Frank Sgambelone - crew Kevin Sheehy - assistant "Viggy" Vignola - programming Richie Voutselas – crew Artwork P. R. Brown - Art direction, design, photography

Charts

Album Chart (2003) Peak position Canadian Albums Chart[17] 9 Dutch Albums Chart[18] 98 German Albums Chart[19] 70 New Zealand Albums Chart[20] 36 UK Albums Chart[21] 154 The Billboard 200[17] 1 Top Internet Albums 1

Singles Year Song Chart Peak position 2002 "I Stand Alone" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 1 Alternative Songs[22] 20 Dutch Singles Chart[18] 70 German Singles Chart[23] 98 2003 "Straight Out of Line" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 1 Alternative Songs[22] 9 Billboard Hot 100[24] 73 "Serenity" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 7 2004 Alternative Songs[22] 10 "Re-Align" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 3 Alternative Songs[22] 28

Certifications

Faceless was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America a mere five weeks after the album's release in April.[25]

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[26]	Gold	50,000^^
United States (RIAA)[27]	Platinum	1,500,000[28]
^^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. Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
2. "Ken Phillips Publicity Group - Godsmack". Ken Phillips Publicity Group. 2006-07-11. Archived from the original on 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
3. "Godsmack... No Longer Faceless". Universal Motown Records Group. 2003-02-05. Archived from the original on 2007-07-30. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
4. "Godsmack To Debut At Number One". Yahoo! Music. 2003-04-16. Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
5. "Godsmack Set 'Serenity' As Next Single". Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-05-23. Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
6. "Godsmack: 'Faceless' Debut At #1". Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-04-16. Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. 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. Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
9. "Lauran Doverspike Faceless". World News. Retrieved 2019-05-03.
10. "Godsmack : Faceless (2003)". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
11. Allmusic Review
12. antiMUSIC Review
13. 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. ultimate-guitar Review Archived 2015-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
17. "Faceless - Godsmack". Billboard.
18. "Godsmack - Awake". dutchcharts.nl.
19. "Charverfolgung / Godsmack / Longplay" (in German). PhonoNet.
20. "Godsmack - Faceless". charts.nz.
21. Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: Gina G - GZA". Zobbel.
22. "Godsmack Alternative Songs Chart History". Billboard.
23. "Charverfolgung / Godsmack / Single" (in German). PhonoNet. Archived from the original on 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
24. "Godsmack Hot 100 Chart History". Billboard.
25. "Godsmack's 'Faceless' Certified Platinum!". Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-05-17. Archived from the original on 2008-12-23. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
26. "Canadian album certifications – Godsmack – Faceless". Music Canada.
27. "American album certifications – Godsmack – Faceless". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
28. "Universal Republic Community | Biography". universalrepublic.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2011.