The Oracle (album)
Occupation
- Vocals: Sully Erna
- Guitar: Tony Rombola
- Bass: Robbie Merrill
- Drums: Shannon Larkin
The Oracle (English for the oracle ) is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Godsmack. It was released on 7 May 2010 via Universal Records and reached number one on the U.S. album charts. In the United States, the album was awarded a gold record.
Formation
After the release of the previous album Godsmack IV were about two years on tour. The members decided to take a year off to care more about their families and advance to other musical projects. Singer Sully Erna published his autobiography, The Path We Choose and gave Unplugged concerts. In addition, he recorded a solo album, which has not yet been published. Erna's musicians published with former Ugly Kid Joe singer Whitfield Crane and guitarist Lee Richards Dropbox an album under the name Another Animal. Rumors after the band Godsmack had dissolved, were denied by the musicians.
In early 2009 the band began to work on their new studio album. The musicians took itself to a plan to record an album, which is more like the fans as the musicians. In an interview Sully Erna stated that the fans at concerts though liked the quiet songs, but ultimately waiting for the harder songs. Work on the album were interrupted after Godsmack got the offer to participate in the Crüe Fest 2 tour of the band Mötley Crüe. Godsmack participated in a hurry on the song " Whiskey Hangover", which was released in June 2009 as a single.
In the fall of 2009 the recordings for The Oracle began. As a producer, the band chose the former Ugly Kid Joe guitarist Dave Fortman, who has previously worked with bands such as Slipknot and Evanescence. As a guest musician Irina Chirkova occurred, who played the cello on the title song. The album was mastered by Bob Ludwig. For the single " Cryin ' Like a Bitch" music video was filmed.
The working title of the album was Saints and Sinners (English for saints and sinners ). The yet another title was chosen, according to singer Sully Erna had two reasons. Firstly, there were already some music albums with this title, including Whitesnake. On the other hand, Erna was of the opinion that the album title would sound in conjunction with the band name too religious. Finally, the band titled after the final instrumental "The Oracle ".
Background
The song " Cryin ' Like a Bitch! " Were inspired by the events during the tour with Mötley Crüe. In an interview Sully Erna complained that he and his band were during the tour treated badly and unfairly. From the events of a dispute erupted between Erna and Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, so Godsmack wrote a song about him and his arrogant behavior.
"Forever Shamed " is about how to lead people, even in situations in which they are not proud. In " Shadow of a Soul" Erna describes his feelings when he wants to be even a normal person and not a rock star.
" The song is about how this normal guy is overshadowed by a huge rock star presence. This gigantic shadow is like a big brother, the front protects the little ones to have exploited. But if you play this big brother for too long, you ache again sometime after the little boy. I can not live permanently in this rock-star world. "
Reception
The Oracle was reacted favorably by the press. According to Conny shipbuilders by the German magazine Rock Hard " it understand Godsmack still to merge modern hard rock riffing with charismatic catchy melodies " and awarded a 8.5 out of ten. Different attracted responses from reviewers of the German magazine Metal Hammer. While Matthias Mineur of a "good rock record " spoke and awarded five out of seven points criticized his colleague Jacob wreath the " stylistic stagnation " and were only three points.
Negative expressed Kai Wehmeier online magazine Plattentests.de, the Godsmack as "a completely self-contained, self-referential system " described and said that " every song on" The oracle " a direct descendant of a piece of any other album of the band" is. He gave four out of ten.
The Oracle debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and sold in its first week in the United States 117,000 times. The previous albums, IV and Faceless, who also boarded straight to number one on the charts, sold in the first week, however, 217,000 or 267,000 times. Godsmack are thus by Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Disturbed and Staind only the sixth Hard-Rock/Metal-Band, who made it three consecutive albums at number one on the U.S. album charts. In Germany the album reached number 72
Versions
In addition to the regular CD version was a limited " Deluxe Edition" published. This in addition to the ten songs of the regular version or the songs Whiskey Hangover, I Blame You, and The Departed and the making of the album as a bonus DVD. The Departed Sully Erna is from solo album Avalon and is also represented on the iTunes version of The Oracle as a bonus song.