1000hp

When Sully Erna opens up "1000hp," the titular track of Godsmack's sixth studio album, with a line like "Time to rewind back to 1995 when we were nothing," it's clear that the hard rock giants are serious about recapturing the fire they had in their early days. And while The Oracle was a refreshing return to form for the band, whose sound had softened considerably since their self-titled 1998 debut. Nailing their flag to the masthead with fiery riffs and a seemingly unstoppable drive, the album proves that the revival of their previous effort wasn't just a one-off. Like their early work, the album eschews nuance for something more direct, taking the straightest possible path toward aggression wherever possible. This makes 1000hp a satisfyingly simple album that offers listeners a taste of raw, explosive rock free of frills and fuss, feeling as though Godsmack looked at the vast resources at their disposal and decided that all they really needed to rock was themselves, a few amps, and some old-fashioned anger. The most low-key the album gets is on album-closer "Turning to Stone," and even then the song's smoldering verses, which give way to some searing choruses, deliver plenty of intensity, closing out the album with a clench-jawed stoicism that feels like a far cry from the traditional power ballad. Feeling like a lost album from the band's beginnings, 1000hp is Godsmack at their most focused, showing that they've finally found the path back to their roots that they'd been searching for. ~ Gregory Heaney