Godsmack is the eponymous debut album by the band Godsmack. The album was initially paid for by the band and released as All Wound Up, before the band was signed to Universal Records and Republic Records. It was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City. It featured a new song called "Someone in London" while the song "Goin' Down" was removed, but later appeared on the band's second major album Awake.
After playing the Boston area over the following two years, local radio stations began playing the singles "Keep Away" and "Whatever", both of which helped the band to sell copies of their self-financed album All Wound Up. After the demand for their album became too high, Republic Records/Universal Records stepped in and signed the band to their label in 1998. The band replaced drummer Darco with Stewart and All Wound Up was remastered and released six weeks later as their self-titled debut album Godsmack.
On December 4, 2001, the album was certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA.[7]
Controversy
The album caused controversy due to its profane lyrics, and liner notes containing a Wiccan pentagram and reference to "Salem witches", minus a Parental Advisory warning label.[8] After listening to his son's copy of the album, a father in the U.S. complained to Wal-Mart, who sold him the album, that the lyrics were offensive. Wal-Mart and Kmart took the album off the shelves. The band and its record label later added a Parental Advisory sticker to the album, and some stores ordered amended copies of the album. Erna commented on the situation to Rolling Stone magazine, stating, "Our record has been in the marketplace for more than a year now without a parental advisory sticker and this is the one and only complaint. Stickers and lyrics are by nature subjective. We have decided to put a sticker on the record." This controversy did not hurt album sales, but according to Erna, helped, stating, "It's almost taunting kids to go out and get the record to see what we're saying on it."
