Awake: the 25th Anniversary

The Blind Eternities forum

Posted on Jan. 12, 2025, 8:14 p.m. by DemonDragonJ

This year is the 25th anniversary of Awake, the second album by American alternative metal band Godsmack. Although Godsmack's eponymous debut album, released only two year prior, was an amazing album, in its own right, their second album was what truly brought them to superstar status, assuring their place as one of the foremost bands of the alternative metal movement at the beginning of the new millennium.

On Awake, Godsmack further refined their powerful, piledriving sound, courtesy of the thundering rhythm section of bassist Robbie Merrill and drummer Tommy Stewart, exemplified throughout the album, most notably on the pounding title track, but also other tracks, such as the fan-favorite Greed, with its relentless hammering riff. Several songs, including Going Down and Bad Magic, were recorded during the sessions of the band's first album, but had not been previously released, so they were now included on this album. Toward the end of the album is Vampires, a song that highlights Godsmack's affinity for horror and the occult, a proclivity that they previously had demonstrated with both Voodoo and Witch Hunt on their previous album. One other interesting point of distinction is that the title track of this album gained another level of fame for being featured in advertisements for the United States navy, advertisements that featured the tagline of "accelerate your life."

I was in my early adolescence when this album was released, so it holds great sentimental value, for me, helping to provide an integral part of the soundtrack of my middle and high school years and giving me the confidence and courage to move forward at a time when I was feeling very insecure and uncertain, about myself, so I do hope that that band does something special to commemorate this momentous milestone.

What does everyone else say, about this subject? How do you feel about this year being the 25th anniversary of Awake?