Formed in Boston, Godsmack was originally comprised of Sully Erna (vocals), Tony Rambola (guitar), Robbie Merrill (bass) and Tommy Stewart (drums). The group's official debut came in the form of the independently released All Wound Up in 1997. The album's title was perfect as the alternative-metal band sounded as if they were all wound up and their music was the explosive release of their tension.

The record landed the group a deal with Universal, who rereleased the album as a self-titled major label debut equipped with a few new tracks in 1998. Godsmack was a hit with both metal fans and mainstream listeners, as the album climbed into the top 25 on the all-inclusive Billboard 200. Erna instantly gained the reputation as a vocal force to be reckoned with and was labeled as one of rock's premiere frontmen. The disc quickly went gold and eventually gained triple-platinum status, earning Godsmack a slot in Ozzfest, where the band had the opportunity to show off their stage performance chops to a large-scale audience.

The group released their sophomore effort in 2000 in the form of Awake. While some critics had their issues with the record, most listeners ate it up and the album did very well on both the U.S. and Canadian charts. Their song "Vampires" earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental.

Godsmack maintained a presence on the radio waves with the single "I Stand Alone," which appeared on the soundtrack of the movie The Scorpion King, giving them time to record their 2003 release, Faceless. The record didn't fare as well as the monster success experienced by the band's debut, but their name alone garnered a stop atop the Billboard charts.

Godsmack released The Other Side in 2004 and IV in 2008, both of which fared well on the charts.