Changes (DVD)

Godsmack

Coming Home Studios, 2004

http://www.godsmack.com

REVIEW BY: Paul Hanson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 02/15/2005

Let me be clear: you don't need a kindergartner to enjoy the latest Godsmack DVD, Changes. More on that later.

Godsmack releases Changes on the heels of a successful tour with Metallica, after a successful headlining tour and three releases that have generated plenty of radio success. Add a release of acoustic music and you have a very busy band. Changes takes the viewer a step closer within the band's inner circle. Peppered with live performances, you get each band member telling their story. Bassist Robbie Merrill used to play in a funk band; guitarist Tony Rombola wonders how anyone can live in New York, as he describes the need for quiet to balance the loud on stage. Drummer Shannon Larkin describes the bands he has been in before summarizing his career by saying that luck has been able to get him where he is today. Vocalist/guitarist/drummer Sully Erna provides the nucleus of the movie, commenting on each band member and how they each fit into the Godsmack machine. We hear the story of how he was making pasta one day on the bus and he looked at Larkin. They both started pounding a Led Zeppelin drumbeat. Erna tells us this story not to prove he has psychic powers, but to demonstrate that the band is a tight, cohesive unit. More about the Erna/Larkin cohesion later.

We see the band rehearsing for the Faceless tour. We hear from the lead soundman whose job is to give the band what they want. We see Erna doing meditation and "centering" himself, a ritual he describes as the best part of his day.

In concert, the band sounds absolutely amazing. All the radio hits translate well into all-out rock anthems. The pyro explodes, the crowd sings loud, the guitar solos scorch, it looks like a great time. The songs were recorded in Philadelphia. I saw the band in Moline, IL, in August 2004. As a witness to seeing a date from the same tour as the concert in the DVD, I can say that if you enjoy this DVD, you will enjoy the band live. There are 13 songs on this DVD; they played nine songs when I saw them in Moline.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

One of the highlights of the DVD is the drum solo, titled "Batalla De Los Tambores." Erna rides a drum platform to come face to face with Larkin, reminescent of the classic drum battles Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and other jazz greats used to demonstrate their technique. Erna and Larkin play a duet that breaks down into snippets of great "drum songs" like "YYZ," "Walk this Way," "Moby Dick," and "Tom Sawyer." The energy between both drummers is high and the sweat drips from their bodies.

From a personal standpoint, I enjoy watching this DVD because I can watch it with my 5 year-old son. We watch the band play the songs we've heard on the radio, like "Straight Out of Line" and "Re-Align" and talk about what it is like at a concert. When I told him that I like to go up on the balcony so I can watch the drummer and air drum with him/her, my son replied that that made sense because if I got tired on the floor and sat down, people would step on me and I wouldn't be able to see. I think when the day comes that allows me to take him to a concert, he will beeline for the balcony. We have talked about body surfing and how if you do that at a concert in my area (eastern Iowa), you get passed around to the front of the stage and then shown the door. We also talk about how Larkin looks like an octupus with the drumming visuals he uses to play his parts.

So, in a sense, Changes has provided a way for my son and I to bond. This is not a G-rated DVD, though: the F-word is used frequently when Erna talks to the camera. There are also a couple of "potty" words that Erna bellows from the stage so, in the spirit of full disclosure, parents should watch the DVD and make their own decisions on what is appropriate for their child. I'm merely commenting that, in my case, the performances provided an unexpected avenue for bonding with my son.

The biggest question the DVD answers is whether Godsmack will be around forever. The band doesn't come across as being as crazy as Motley Crue or KISS or Van Halen or any of the legendary bands that legends are told about. The band seems more centered on who they are in the moment they are in, almost looking at their surroundings with a desire to make the ride they are on last forever. I think the band will be around for as long as they want to be. Erna testifies that the band gives 150% whether they are in front of 5 or 500 fans. He talks about how every night is as big as playing Chicago, New York, Boston, etc, stating the band doesn't cater to the "big cities" for putting on a good performance.

Already, with this DVD and the acoustic release, they are making allowances to grow and expand their sound. From watching Changes, I think of the band as being more than a passing hard rock band in the same category as Chavelle, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, or Crossfade. That is not a slam on any of those bands -- I like them all. Instead, I think of Godsmack as being more in the vein of Collective Soul or Live -- bands that will consistently rock the crowd, create great songs, and survive the turmoils of the music industry. Changes is but a snapshot of the band's career where it stands today.

Rating: A

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 2005 Paul Hanson and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Coming Home Studios, and is used for informational purposes only.