NEW YORK (By Serena Gallagher/ Universal Republic Records) - Universal Republic rock band, Godsmack, has notched the coveted No 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart with impressive first-week sales for their new CD,
Godsmack IV. With a formidable 211,000 units sold, this is the second No 1 album debut of their career. The chart-topping debut came ahead of other sturdy rock bows this week, such as
Bruce Springsteen and The Goo Goo Dolls, buoyed by the band's soaring first single from the disc, "Speak."
"
Speak" has locked down the No 1 spot for 9 straight weeks, which makes this their fourth No 1 at Active Rock radio, affirming
Godsmack as the only rock band to have scored 13 Top 10 hits in the format. Early support for "
Speak" came from Fuse and MTV2, who aired a special "Making of The Video."
The group has been showcasing the scorching new single with a flurry of TV appearances, including recent performances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well as upcoming performances on Last Call With Carson Daly scheduled to air on May 10 and CD USA airing on May 13.
Godsmack has also been confirmed to perform on VH1's first ever "Rock Honors" show, to be taped on May 25th and scheduled to premier on May 31st on VH1 at 9:00 pm. Held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV, the show will honor KISS, Queen, Def Leppard and Judas Priest, and feature performances by Godsmack, The Foo Fighters, All American Rejects and others.
According to the band's charismatic lead singer, Sully Erna, an exhausting work regimen for Godsmack IV at Spiral Recording studio in L.A. also seems to have helped reap chart-topping dividends. Describing the band's collective contribution on this album as 'cathartic,' the group wrote 40 songs for the new album, whittling the final cuts for Godsmack IV down to 11. The new disc is also the first group effort produced by the energetic frontman and mixed by legendary engineer/producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones). With Godsmack IV, the band has delivered their first full studio arsenal since 2003's Faceless, which also debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at No 1.
Known for putting together a tireless touring schedule, Godsmack will kick off their 2006 live show on June 10 with a series of Canadian dates in support of the new album, followed by treks through Japan and Australia in July. A North American Tour is being mapped out for late summer and fall, with dates expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Godmack's releases include Godsmack (1998), Awake (2000), Faceless (2003), The Scorpion King soundtrack (2002), Otherside EP (2004).
