Godsmack - Faceless (2003)

After an exhausting draught throughout the late nineties, the rock and metal scene was finally on the rise again in the early years of the millennium with giants like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest reuniting with former members and coming back in full strength. New metal bands also had their breakthrough with groups like Linkin Park and Slipknot achieving commercial success. Associating Godsmack to either category wouldn't do the quartet justice however. The group had formed at a difficult time for rock music in the mid-nineties and always stuck around with great resilience. The band's determination was finally rewarded with commercial breakthrough Faceless. This is also the band's greatest album because it sounds addictively emotional from start to finish and doesn't include any filler material.

One year before the album was released, its first single ''I Stand Alone'' was released in support of the soundtrack for action blockbuster The Scorpion King with a young Dwayne Johnson. The fierce anthem doesn't only capture the gritty spirit of the movie but also the band's very own resilience to achieve stardom through hardship. The song struck a chord with younger audiences as it inspired outsiders to hold on to their dreams. This same song was later used on the soundtrack of the video game Prince of Persia: Warrior Within which is easily the darkest entry in the franchise. The track once again blends in perfectly as the protagonist of the game has to show determination, grit and resilience in order to exorcise his demons of the past. This same game also featured another track from Godsmack's Faceless record which is the vibrant, menacing and angry opener ''Straight Out of Line''. Its energy, gloom and pressure suit perfectly once again. The official music video shows how the drummer performs as if there were no tomorrow while the string instruments are performed with lots of swagger and the vocals are spewed out like magma.

Being a fan of The Scorpion King and Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, it was only a matter of time for me to discover this band and this particular record. The first time I had the occasion to listen to this was when my local religious community organized a weekend filled with great activities at a youth hostel and one of my roommates spun this record. I knew I definitely wanted to buy said album one day there and then.

The gritty energy of the two lead singles can be found throughout the entire record. ''Faceless'' is a musical middle finger to hypocrites that makes you bang your head and scream out loud. ''I Fucking Hate You'' uses swear words with a purpose as it uncovers the dark sides of a relationship gone wrong. ''Dead and Broken'' portrays the abyss of a hurt heart and soul authentically.  

However, this album isn't just filled with relentless anger. ''Re-Align'' for instance has a slightly optimistic vibe and convinces with uplifting speed and a melodic chorus. Album closer ''Serenity'' has a spiritual dimension and feels almost mantra-like with its hypnotizing acoustic guitars and percussive elements. Ending such an energetic record on a rather dreamy, introspective and smooth note was a brilliant idea. Other bands successfully used a similar approach, for instance Puddle of Mudd on its second full length effort Life on Display released the very same year.

Godsmack's Faceless is a record that is still spun regularly when I feel the need to get some energy before calming down and relaxing as this amazing album fades out. This album makes you go through all sorts of emotions through twelve tunes and a total running time of forty-seven minutes. This emotional roller coaster ride hasn't lost anything of its authenticity. It has actually proven to be timeless more than one and a half decades later. Anyone who likes emotional rock or metal music has to give this gem of a record a try. Make sure to watch The Scorpion King and play Prince of Persia: Warrior Within as well if you can. I certainly associate fond teenage memories to this album, that movie and that video game.