Recorded over a seven-year span,
Godsmack frontman
Sully Erna's solo debut may come as a surprise to fans expecting another chiseled collection of angst-fueled midtempo slabs of alternative metal.
Erna's still filled with angst, but musically he's branched out, choosing the tribal, Far East motifs that have begun popping up on
Godsmack's most recent albums over the bleak post-grunge approach that has earned them multiple Grammy nominations. This change is most evident on
Avalon's opulent title cut, a sweeping, cinematic acoustic gem that sounds like a cross between
Led Zeppelin's
"Battle of Evermore" and
Evanescence's
"My Immortal." That sound expands to an even greater extent on the single
"Sinner's Prayer," bolstered by guest vocalist
Lisa Guyer, Bulgarian cellist
Irina Chirkova, and
Dead Can Dance percussionist
Niall Gregory. As with all of
Erna's work, the subject matter is intensely personal yet simply rendered, and the overall effect can be both majestic and sullen. The weight of the world does indeed grow heavier (for the listener) as the album progresses, but there's a lot to be said for managing to crank out such a powerful product with all of the amps turned off. ~ James Christopher Monger
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