Faceless | ||||
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Studio album by Godsmack | ||||
Released | April 8, 2003 | |||
Studio | The Hit Factory Criteria 2002, Miami, Florida | |||
Genre | Alternative metal, nu metal, heavy metal, progressive metal, groove metal | |||
Length | 47:19 | |||
Label | Universal, Republic | |||
Producer |
Sully Erna David Bottrill |
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Godsmack chronology | ||||
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Singles from Faceless | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (50/100) |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
antiMUSIC | |
Entertainment Weekly | C− |
KNAC | |
Rolling Stone | |
Ultimate Guitar |
Faceless is the third studio album by the band Godsmack. The album introduced drummer Shannon Larkin, former drummer for Ugly Kid Joe. 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.
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.
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." Erna found inspiration after reading Rush drummer Neil Peart's book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, and penned the new song "Serenity", which Merrill says is similar in motif to the tribal-drum sound of Godsmack's past hit "Voodoo".
Faceless debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 269,000 copies in its first week, 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.