Godsmack are a millionaire hard rock band who have sold millions of records in the last eight years. Their fourth album, “IV,” was released on April 25, 2006. It sold 211,000 copies in its first week in the USA to debut at Number One on the Billboard chart.
Several weeks previous, I had been solicited by Godsmack’s record label and publicist for press coverage. Ken Phillips, the band’s publicist told me on May 3, after the interview had been conducted, that he had “assumed that it would be a feature about the new cd, tour and what the band has been doing since the last release.” The latter is all that I was able to discuss with Godsmack frontman/lyricist/producer Sully Erna on Monday, May 1 by telephone before he hung up on me mid-sentence, and refused to answer any further questions over the following days.
Here is the full transcript of our conversation. — Jay Babcock (Editor, ARTHUR Magazine)
Feature article published in Arthur No. 23 (July 2006)
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW.
(Initial audio digitizing courtesy Bobby Tamkin!)
JAY BABCOCK of Arthur Magazine: Alright let me get the tape rolling here. How you doing?
SULLY ERNA of Godsmack: I’m good!
JAY: How was the Jimmy Kimmel show on Friday? You were outside playing, right?
SULLY: Yeah it’s always cool to do that because it’s so set up for musicians, you know. Big stage, live crowd. It’s not so like indoors with a camera rehearsals. It’s a lot easier.
JAY: Yeah. So you got to be back out in front of your fans.
SULLY: Yeah. It was good. It was fun.
JAY: What kind of people listen to your music, do you think?
SULLY: Ummm, I’ve seen ’em range as young as 8 and as old as 68. [chuckles]
JAY: Yup.
SULLY: So it’s…
JAY: Well, you’ve seen a lot more of ’em than I have, and I’m trying to get an idea of what it feels like when you’re out there–to you, on the stage. Do you think there’s a lot of teenagers in the audience? A lot of guys in their 20s? Chicks?
SULLY: Ah you know…
JAY: Is it a dude audience?
SULLY: I would say, if I had to guess what our age group is, it’s probably between 18 and 40.
JAY: Oh yeah?
SULLY: I would have to say that’s kind of where we’re at, maybe more, majority would be 18-30? But I, we definitely, we recruited a lot of new fans off of that acoustic record…
JAY: That did it, huh?
SULLY: …an older audience. And this record seems to be drawing in a different kind of audience as well, so. You know we’re just trying to continue to expand and not have a ceiling over our heads.
JAY: Right. You guys are still having a good time making music after all these years?
SULLY: Of course. We’re musicians, that’s what we do. It may not always be great music, but we love making it! [laughs]
JAY: Cuz music has a power…?
SULLY: Mmm hmm. It’s a universal language.
JAY: So what you say with it, and what you do with it, has an effect…?
SULLY: Of course.
JAY: Right?
SULLY: [emphatically] Of course.
JAY: So I notice you guys have been really involved with promoting the military. [1]
SULLY: Well, they actually came to us, believe it or not. Somebody in the Navy loves this band, because they used “Awake” for three years and then they came to us and re-upped the contract for another three years for “Sick of Life.” So, I don’t know. They just feel like that music, [laughs] someone in that place thinks that the music is very motivating for recruit commercials I guess. And hey, I’m an American boy so it’s not… I’m proud of it.
JAY: You’re proud of recruiting your fans into the military?
SULLY: Well, no. [laughs, then playfully] Don’t be turning my fucking words around, you!
JAY: Well, tell me what you mean. You said your music is powerful, it’s got an effect, like you said, and you’re letting the military use it. The military, who are they recruiting? 18-to-30-year-olds, right?
SULLY: I guess. I don’t know what their recruit age is. I know it’s at least 18.
JAY: Yeah, they do down in the high schools now.
SULLY: My thing is… Listen, here’s my thing with the military. I’m not saying our government is perfect. Because I know that we make some mistakes and we do shitty things BUT, BUT. You wouldn’t have your job, and we wouldn’t have our lives, if we weren’t out there protecting this country so we could lead a free life. So there’s kind of a ying and a yang to that. Sometimes it’s not always the best choices that we make, or we stick our noses in other people’s shit, but at the same time, we protect this place enough that we’re able to like pursue careers and do what a lot of people in other countries aren’t able to do. They’re kind of picked and they’re chosen to be whatever they become. I’m proud to be an American, I’ll tell you that.
JAY: So your country, right or wrong?
SULLY: Uh, no. Not right or wrong. But I’m proud to be an American. I love my country. I’ve seen the depressions and how people live in other countries and how they’re told what to be, and they don’t have the choices that we have. I do love that about our country. So, you know… And I actually sympathize with a lot of the soliders, and the military in general, that are trained to go out and protect FOR us, and what they have to go through, it’s really kind of shitty in a sense that these young kids have to go over there and die, sometimes, for something that isn’t our fucking problem. And that kind of sucks. So what I have to do is at least support them, because they don’t have the choice that we do.
JAY: They don’t have the choice because…?
SULLY: Because they’ve decided to fight for our country.
JAY: And they decided to do that because…?
SULLY: [laughs]…
JAY: Of your song…?
SULLY: Aw, come on. It’s not like that.
JAY: Well I have a quote from you here: “We’ve always been supportive of our country and our president, whereas a lot of people I thought” — and you said this in 2003, to MTV News, you said — “a lot of people I thought lashed out pretty quickly at what we did and I thought the government did everything pretty cleanly and publicly as possible.” [2]
SULLY: Yeah?
JAY: Well, what are you talking about?
SULLY: That was my opinion at the time. The whole war thing, and trying to keep us up to date like… If you remember, back in other wars, we didn’t have the opportunity to follow it through the media, and CNN, and the news, live updates and that kind of thing. And I thought that for the most part you know we were allowed to follow it as best we could through the media sources that were feeding us information.
JAY: [incredulous] You didn’t think the media was being controlled by the military?
SULLY: Well, it could be. I don’t know.
JAY: You didn’t look into it?
SULLY: Listen. Are you a fucking government expert?
JAY: I’m not telling people to go join the military and then not knowing what the military is doing.
SULLY: I don’t tell people to go join the military!!
JAY: You don’t think using your songs—the POWER of your music, which you were talking about—has an effect on the people that hear it when it goes with the visuals that the best P.R. people in the world use?
SULLY: Oh man, are you like one of those guys that agrees with some kid that fuckin’ tied a noose around his neck because Judas Priest lyrics told him to?
JAY: You were telling me how powerful your music was, and what age the people are that listen to it, and you must have thought, ‘Well the Navy sure thought it was useful,’ so you tell me.
SULLY: Hey, listen. The Navy thought… It’s the same reason why wrestlers work out to the music, and extreme motorcross riders listen to the music and do what they do. It’s ENERGETIC music. It’s very ATHLETIC. People feel that they get an adrenaline rush out of it or whatever, so, it goes with whatever’s an extreme situation. But I doubt very seriously that a kid is going to join the Marines or the US Navy because he heard Godsmack as the underlying bed music in the commercial. They’re gonna go and join the Navy because they want to jump out of helicopters and fuckin’ shoot people! Or protect the country or whatever it is, and look at the cool infra-red goggles.
JAY: You said to MTV, “We’re not a very political band but we’re supportive of the U.S. military and how they approach things.” [2]
SULLY: Listen. Someone turned that around. I never said “and how they approach things.”
JAY: Okay. So that’s a misquote. Or something–
SULLY [interrupting]: Wow, what?
JAY: What about this? In 2003 you did a show that started with video footage of Apache helicopters”honing in on a desert target interspersed with the words ‘We will prevail…Stronger than them all.”
SULLY: Say that again?
JAY: I’m reading from a Boston Globe review of a show you did at the Tweeter Center.
SULLY: Yeah.
JAY: In front of 13,000 people on May 22, 2003.
SULLY: Yeah, but tell me what it said again.
JAY: Yes sir. It said “Godsmack’s ferociously high energy 90-minute set started with video footage of Apache helicopters honing in on a desert target, interspersed with the words ‘We will prevail…Stronger than them all.” [3]
SULLY: Yeah…?
JAY: So you’re using military imagery with your music at your concerts?
SULLY: First of all, it was a COMPUTER image, a computer-animated helicopter that didn’t… There was no scene of a desert in there. It was a helicopter that rose up from the screen and scanned the audience. It was an EFFECT. And then it shot out missiles that hit the stage.
JAY: Uh huh…
SULLY: Because the intro to “Straight Out of Line” has the sounds of like, a war thing going on.
JAY [trying to decide if Sully is dissembling or just obtuse]: Oh I see. So it’s just sort of a concept thing. [pause] Well, you’ve done a lot to help out the guys who are in the military, who are stuck there now, whether they chose to be there or they got hoodwinked into being there. For whatever reason, they’re in the military. And they’re doing their job. You guys did a show for them at Camp Pendleton–
SULLY: Yup.
JAY: –called “Rockin’ the Corps.” And so you’ve been doing a lot of benefit shows…
SULLY: [interrupting] Well, like I said, Listen you know, there’s a lot of young kids that die for our country, man, and they don’t have the choice once they’re in there.
JAY: That’s right.
SULLY: So I just feel well you know whatever we can do to say “thank you for protecting our country” is what we try to do. I’m not trying to make this a big political issue.
JAY: Okay. Have you done anything to prevent people from joining the military?
SULLY: No.
JAY: To maybe educate them as to what’s in store for them?
SULLY: I don’t have enough education in the military to educate them in anything.
JAY: Would you let your music be used for anti-military recruiting advertisements?
SULLY: I don’t know, I’d have to see what that was about.
JAY: But you’d be open to it?
SULLY: We’re open to whatever, as long as it’s not a Maybelline commercial.
JAY: [laughs] Maybelline’s more offensive than the military…?
SULLY: No. That doesn’t quite go with what we do.
JAY: But the military does?
SULLY: Listen. Where are we going with this thing? Is this interview about the government–
JAY: Well, I’ve never seen such a pro-military–
SULLY: Sounds like this is a personal attack or whatever.
JAY: Well I’ve never seen such a pro-military band as you guys. [4]
SULLY: But we’re not! I think [chuckling] you’re making us out to be a little bit more. When we’re asked about something, we just answer the question. We don’t go spend 23 hours out of our day supporting the military and what they do.
JAY: Um hmm.
SULLY: We just simply, an opportunity came up, they wanted to use some music for a recruit commercial. What are we gonna say, no?
JAY: Yeah. How hard is it to say ‘no’?
SULLY: Why would we, though?!?
JAY: Because…
SULLY [interrupting]: Is it because you don’t feel the same way about the government that we do, makes you right and us wrong?
JAY: Yeah. What do you feel about the government? Tell me what–
SULLY: Aw, that’s crazy, man! That’s just an OPINION.
JAY: I can back my opinion up from here to tomorrow if you would like to talk to me all day long.
SULLY: Well obviously you’ve done a lot of research and you’ve–
JAY [interrupting]: That’s right, because–
SULLY: –got a different opinion. We don’t know that stuff that you know, so–
JAY [impatient]: Why don’t you do some research before you get involved with these sorts of things? You’re talking about young kids’ lives. You’re talking about kids–
SULLY: [yelling] Would you rather not have us be protected so they can come and overrun our country?!?
JAY: Do you know what a “fool’s errand” is?
SULLY: I’m asking you a question!
JAY: No one is threatening–
SULLY [interrupting]: Would you rather us not be protected?!?
JAY: You know what I’d like, Sully? A Department of Defense, not a Department of Offense that attacks other countries — sovereign nations — who do things in a different way than us, who we have no right to go over and invade and change their governments. Would we want someone else to do that to us?
SULLY: I’m not saying —
JAY [interrupting]: How hard is that to think about?
SULLY: I’m not saying that we were right on every war that we’ve created. I know that we’ve been damn wrong at times about stuff–
JAY [interrupting]: When have we been wrong?
SULLY: [yelling] but they have also been wrong too!
JAY: When have —
SULLY [interrupting]: I don’t trust someone like fuckin’ Sadaam and Osama to come in here and try to control–
JAY: [interrupting, incredulous] When did Sadaam try to come in here and control our country?
SULLY: Dude, [yelling] WHY DON’T YOU GO LIVE IN IRAQ THEN IF YOU HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM WITH AMERICA? Why are you here?
JAY: Why am I here?!? This is the top country in the world, my friend!
SULLY: Well, why do you think so? Because it’s PROTECTED.
JAY: No, it’s not because it’s–
SULLY [interrupting]: –ruled our country.
JAY: No one is attacking us, my friend. Certainly not Iraq. Every first world nation suffers terrorist attacks. Get used to it.
SULLY: I am used to it. I don’t have a problem–
JAY: Get used to it.
SULLY: [laughs] Sounds like you do.
JAY: You’re the one that’s saying it’s alright to not know about stuff and then to send other people to die in our name.
SULLY: I never said that! Don’t put fuckin’ words in my mouth.
JAY: I’ve got it on tape, bro.
SULLY: You’ve “got it on tape, bro”?!?
JAY: Yeah.
SULLY: You got me saying it’s okay for us to attack other countries?
JAY: I got you on tape saying they’re protecting us by attacking, by going over there and taking out people.
SULLY: Listen, don’t fuckin’ turn my words around to make it to what you want it to be! That’s not what I meant and you know that.
JAY: Okay I’m sorry. Then tell me what you meant.
SULLY: Listen, I’m not gonna get into a political fuckin’ conversation with you. This was supposed to be an interview about the band. Where is this going?
JAY: We’re talking about the power of your music and what you’re using it for.
SULLY: What is this for anyway? Who are you working with?
JAY: I’m working for my own magazine, my friend.
SULLY: What’s it called?
JAY: [laughing in disbelief] What do you mean, what’s it called? Are you serious?
SULLY: Yeah, what’s the magazine called?
JAY: It’s called Arthur Magazine. You guys are the ones that set this up.
SULLY: Hey I was just told to do press today, man.
JAY: Hey man, you guys–
SULLY: I got a checklist in front of me, and I don’t have time for a lot of this bullshit.
JAY: Oh yeah?
SULLY: So write whatever the fuck you wanna write, because your magazine obviously is that popular.
JAY: It’s doing pretty good…
SULLY [interrupting]: Yeah I’m sure it is. All three thousand copies of it… [5]
JAY: On our own, without any corporate support.
SULLY: I wish you the best of– Why would you waste your time calling a band like us when you don’t even give a fuck?!?
JAY: I certainly do “give a fuck.” Cuz you know what?
SULLY: What is this about?!?
JAY: Because listen man! You know there’s 2,800 people, my brothers and sisters, have died over in Iraq?
SULLY: Yeah?
JAY: You know 30,000 Iraqi humans WHO NEVER DID SHIT TO US have died because of the attacks we’ve made over there? [6]
SULLY: [in disbelief] And that’s Godsmack’s fault?
JAY: Did you know that 78% of women in the military report cases of sexual harassment? [7]
SULLY: [sarcastic] And that’s Godsmack’s fault.
JAY: No, man–
SULLY [interrupting, sarcastic]: That has to do with our new record.
JAY: Okay, let’s talk about your new record.
SULLY: I can’t believe this. This is [inaud]
JAY: Let’s talk about that new record, my friend.
SULLY: Get a life. [hangs up]
JAY: Let’s talk about the new album…
AN AFTERWORD FROM JAY BABCOCK, SATURDAY MAY 6, REGARDING THIS INTERVIEW
Regarding the nature of the questions that were put to Sully: it was determined by what’s unique about this band, which is their public pro-military, pro-war stance and the extent of their involvement with US military recruiting campaigns. They’ve spoken about this stuff in public before, so there was no reason for me to think that they wouldn’t be willing to speak about it again. Thus, the interview.
After Sully hung up on me, I called back. The band’s publicist, Ken Phillips, told me that Sully had emerged from the room shouting at the top of his lungs, and he wasn’t sure if he could get him back on the phone with me so that we could talk about the album, Wicca, karma — all interests of Sully’s — that I had hoped to explore. Two days later I was told by Phillips that there would be no further interviewing and the band would rather the feature not run.
Why?
Who knows? Perhaps it’s the way Sully characterizes people who join the military as guys who want to jump out of helicopters and shoot people and use infrared goggles. That doesn’t really jibe well with them being “brave souls” or honorable freedom-protecting people, does it?
Perhaps it has to do with Sully’s attitude towards the Navy’s recruiting efforts. Essentially he is saying that the Navy wasted their money by licensing Godsmack music for their advertisements, since the music has no influence/impact — none, zero — on the viewers.
And so on.
I suppose to a degree it’s like shooting fish in a barrel, but… lives are on the line. People need to be held accountable. I’ve been trying to interview this band since 2003. I finally got my chance. It’s stimulated a ton of discussion — check out blabbermouth.net’s various threads, or the number of blogs and rock news sites that are now picking this up, or the comments below, or the endless barrage of juvenile hatemail we’ve been receiving — and it’s embarrassed the band into silence on the issue, which is better than the jingoism they’d been spouting previously.
Finally: Please keep in mind that Sully is a MILLIONAIRE living in a comfortable life. His band is using their music to help recruit poor, under-educated, foolish, impressionable kids into the military at a time of worthless, pointless war, the consequences of which we — all of us — will be feeling for the rest of our lives. If he doesn’t care to discuss this — all of this — he shouldn’t do interviews… especially with anti-war publications.
ENDNOTES
1. from MARCH 7 – 13, 2003 LA WEEKLY:
“Selling War: How the military’s ad campaign gets inside the heads of recruits” by Greg Goldin
The Navy’s tweaking of this theme is “Accelerate Your Life,” which promises
“adventure, travel, career, patriotism, technology, education, honor.” Set to
music from the band Godsmack, a voice-over intones, “If someone wrote a book
about your life, would anyone want to read it?”
2. from06.19.2003 – MTV.COM–<
While Metallica, Ozzy, Audioslave and others travel America, the Boston band will head oversees where the touring circuit isn’t quite as crowded. “We zig when they zag,” frontman Sully Erna said at Saturday’s KROQ Weenie Roast.
…They’ll return to the States for a headlining tour in the fall, which like the current outing will offer $10 tickets to U.S. soldiers.
…”We’ve always been supportive of our country and our president and stuff like
that, whereas a lot of people, I thought, lashed out pretty quickly at what we
did, and I thought the government did everything pretty cleanly and publicly as
possible,” Erna explained. “We have a lot of respect for the military and stuff
like that, and we just wanted to give them something back for what they did for
us, letting us live in a free country and that kind of thing. We’re not a very
political band, but we are supportive of the U.S. military and how they approach
things.”
3. from http://archive.unearthed.com/?news,2003,05,0000018118 – May 26, 2003
Steve Morse of the Boston Globe reviewed Godsmack’s homecoming concert at theTweeter Center on Thursday (May 22) before a crowd of 13,000. A large part of that crowd – 2,000 to be exact – were members of the military who had bought $10 tickets in the reserved section on the lawn. Godsmack have taken a pro-military stance this spring, and they loaned their song “Awake” for use in a Navy recruitment ad. Godsmack’s ferociously high-energy, 90-minute show started with video footage of Apache helicopters honing in on a desert target, interspersed with the words, ”We will prevail … stronger than them all.
From Godsmack fan:
“The show was May 23, 2003. I know, I was there. The video did have a military theme. Besides the helicopter there was images of fighter jets, stealths, and troops. Also not only did the words ‘WE WILL PREVAIL./STRONGER THAN THEM ALL.’ appear on the screen so did ‘UNITED WE STAND.’ “
From another Godsmack fan:
“Here is the EXACT way I saw the show start in 2003:
[digital video text starts]
[something about being in this time]
We, as Americans citizens, need to unite
Supporting our troops, our country, our freedom.
And, in the end, we will prevail and remain….
Stronger than all!!!!
[end digital text]
[pictures of a tank, jet fighters, troops jumping out of transports & out of helicopters fully armed, another fighter dropping bombs, bomb exploding on the ground, more bombs exploding, helicopters taking off]
[Shannon starts drum intro to Straight Out of Line]
[Helicopter in video shoots missles and pyro explodes on stage like the missles hit there]
[song starts]”
4. MTV News – Fat Joe, 3 Doors Down, Godsmack Speak Out About War In Iraq – JANUARY 22, 2003
“Unfortunately, there were some really bad things that happened [involving the Middle East], and I think if we don’t cut out the cancer while it’s still young, then it’s gonna grow to be this entity that we may not be able to defend ourselves against,” Godsmack frontman Sully Erna said. “I applaud the government and President Bush for doing what they’re doing, and I think our military are some of the bravest souls, much braver than I could ever be.”
5. Actually, it’s 50,000.
6. Although they have been criticized for grossly under-reporting civilian deaths caused by the initial U.S. bombing campaigns, Iraqbodycount.org is probably the best current source on how many Iraqis have been killed during the invasion and US occupation.
7. Source: Department of Defense 1995 Sexual Harassment Survey (Arlington, VA: Defense Manpower Data Center, December 1996) Available online in PDF.
THINKING ABOUT ENLISTING?
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE IN THE U.S. MILITARY IN IRAQ?
Arthur Magazine 
I enjoyed the interview. Bushpigs and Repiglicans in general deserve any abuse that comes their way these days. The morons are sinking this country into a backwards fundamentalist pit of stupidity and constant war and they hardly even notice.
If the first word that occurs to you when thinking about the Bushpigs isn’t “motherfuckers,” then you need to think again.
Years and years pass and the wounds are still raw as ever. Interesting interview…if anything, because of the aftermath. You can’t shit in someone’s mouth and call it a sundae, but you can’t let thousands die and say nothing. How should this be handled America? Thanks Arthur.
You people are fucking idiots (the people who like this guy) Sully was being badgered by this fucking moron, If you wanted to talk to sully about Karma and Wicca why didn’t you do that instead of bring up something like war, I might just be a kid but i live in a VERY patriotic family Every body on my fathers side has been oin the military, and ym mom was in the army with my dad, the were both in Iraq for over a year in Desert storm, Imight know alot more about the military than Sully, but he had a point, without them we would not be the top country in the world, we maynot be getting attacked but that is because we havent let them attack, if you people havent noticed we were about to be attacked on the anniversary of 9/11 and we still might be, so all your morons can fuck off
Hey Jay, I’m glad in a way that you got Sully to at least sort of back off his statements about Iraq and Bush in 2003 (ex. “war …fought cleanly”), but you’re an asshole for what you did in this interview and I would never twist someone’s words and a band’s decision regarding their music like you did (ex. “So Maybelline is more offensive than the military”?, what a JERK you are.
To be fair, Sully was a jerk too when you pressed him to name a time when we waged wrong wars – he said to go to Iraq if you have a problem with America.
Back to you Jay: If Sully was so PRO-WAR, why did he say that he sympathizes with “kids” who go out and die for something that sometimes isn’t even “our fucking problem”?
You confuse Sully’s pro-military stance with a pro-war stance – too many people do that, and you’re one of them. You can be against a war but wish our military luck in fighting it like he does. That’s the American way. Though he obviously sounds like he supported the Iraq invasion, Sully was not thinking of that specific war and the politics involved in it when he allowed the Navy to use his band’s music.
Sully is only guilty of blind patriotism, not a pro-stance on any specific war (and blind interviews too, since he didn’t even know it was Arthur magazine he was talking to!).
But what irritated me the most was your belief that Godsmack’s music has some sort of huge influence in our military.
You think you’ve done your homework? Prove or give statistics that show how many people joined the military because they saw or heard that navy commercial with Godsmack’s music.
AWWWW poor little liberals,the big mean military is making you cry,its ok little children,dont you worry,we grownups will take care of things ,you just go ahead an cry your little heart out,Daddy bush has it all under controle.
I am indifferent to both sides of this argument, but I thought I’d throw a thought out there. I stumbled across this article accidently, and had mixed feelings as I read both it and the comments to it. First of all, I sympathize with Sully because during the interview he was attacked with questions that he was not prepared for. I’ll bet if you were to call him again in a more civilized manner, he would have much more succinct responses. Secondly, I do not support this war because I do not support war in general; there is enough pain in this world without killing each other. I support our troops, however, because I believe that maintaining a secure defense is necessary for our country. I would prefer that the troops be used sparingly, if at all (sort of like the if you carry a handkerchief, you won’t have to blow your nose theory)- so people in the arrmy, military, navy and airforce etc. are required. I don’t like Godsmack’s music, nor do I like other music in the same genre, but everyone deserves respect. That includes people of differing opinions. If everyone made a sincere effort to pull aside the veil between their opinion and the opposing argument, anger would be much less abundant. Anger does not promote good hearing.
It must suck losing an argument to a guy who writes songs with thought-provoking titles such as “Go Away.”
What an embarrassment. You’ve inadvertently justified the existence of meathead-metal.
That song is called ‘whatever’ you fucking cunt.
How many of of you have actually been to iraq? before you throw Sully to the dogs why don’t you take a trip over there. Godsmack is on the very top of the music list in my squad. “sick of life” is our song pretty much. ive seen the commercials. i wudnt think very highly of the SEALs if i saw that soldier swing through the ocean with his M-4 with Cher singing in the background. You call yourselves American yet you don’t support your fellow americans who dying so can walk out your front door every morning without having to think about whether or not you’ll be alive come dinner time. You watch the news and think you what’s like over there. No, not until heard enemy rounds whizz past your head. Not unless you’ve looked through the scope of your M-40 and aimed between the eyes of another person and watch him look up at you just as you get the go-ahead to take him out. Chew on that for while.
HAHAHA hey solo (#39), you seem to have to everything figured out. Have been to iraq and seen things that ull only see in the movies, id much rather hear about “preteen pumping their fists to godsmack” than listen to you blab on and on. oh and speaking of big-talkers, why don’t you go fucking sign up you hypocrite. Once you’ve aimed your M-40 rifle at an insurgent and watched him look up at you just as you got the go-ahead to take him out, then come back and say something intelligent, rather than attack kids who’ve done more to support soldiers like me than you’ll ever do. When you can’t even leave your HQ because some insurgent has a .50 cal aimed at the first thing that comes out that door, then see if you still have the same bullshit opinion. Do you have any idea what a .50 cal bullet does to a person at 100 yards? let me tell you, it far worse than anything you’ve seen on tv. it saddens me to think that i was over there fighting, that a saw the soldier next to me take a bullet to the throat, for anti-war/military bastards like you.
ps. Beat UCLA (#223), you hit the nail right on the head. If you were one of the ignorant assholes who dared to write something so unbelievably ungrateful and disrespectful, i pity you. you clearly have no idea what you’ve got living here in the US. you shud all be shipped over to iraq for a year, and when you start crying for mommy, and she’s not there, then you’ll have an idea of what our soldier go through every day. You all need to shut your fucking mouths. When you’ve held your best friend as he’s lying in the sand bleeding, and had him ask you to be the one to tell his father what happened, then come talk to me. Ive been through it, dont sit at ur fucking computer and tell me i can’t even protect myself, much less my country. you all should be ashamed of yourselves.
on behalf of the entire United States Military
I’m sorry to have to add to this shit storm of opinion, but I must ask: When are you jingoistic imbeciles going to understand that THERE WAS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN IRAQ AND AL QUAEDA?! I am so sick of these SUV driving, Godsmack listening, Fox News watching morons drawing a connection between a relatively secular country and Israel/America-hating jihadist terrorists. That’s Iran/Syria/Saudi Arabia, dummy! Not Iraq. No 9/11 hijackers from Iraq. No Al Quaeda training camps. No WMDs. Before the war Iraw was Just a harmless little country – albeit run by a murderous nut – with a lot of oil. Thanks to us, though, there are a lot a America haters. You’re doing a heckuva job, Georgie!
Iraq, for all it’s shortcomings was not a harborer of terrorists. I don’t know how many times these people need to be told. Sadaam would never allow for those terrorist nuts to be in his country. He had shit to do. He had shit under control. I mean, look at the mess we created over there, that kind of hatred (Sunni/Shi’te) couldn’t be controlled without a seriously bad ass dictator. Bring back Sadaam and bring the troops home!
Anyway. Mr. Babcock, your interview sucked. You’re no better than Bill O’reilly. I just listened to Godsmack for the first time, and man, do they suck. They really really suck. They obviously aren’t critical thinkers. Do you enjoy making fun of mildly retarted Mass-holes? However, the way you ambushed them is about as low as … about as low as selilng your songs to the Navy. Before you do an inverview, have some balls, and cop to the fact that your write for a hipster/anti war/indie rock rag and you want to discuss the war. Sissy.
Go watch “Know your district” on the Colbert Report if you want to know how to make someone look uninformed in a professional way. A more dignified move might have been to interview the person at the ad agency for the Navy campaign, because if it weren’t Godsmack, it would have been Nickelback, or Staind, or some other mildly obese, untalented, suburban metal band selling their songs.
So to conclude with. That interview sucked. Godsmack suck. The war sucks. GWB sucks. Terrorists suck. Israel sucks. Hezbollah sucks. Red states suck. Fox News sucks. Oh, and Clear Channel sucks, too.
RR
this is ridicoulous
an editor who is trying to get cheap publicity
and a musician who’se just making songs
u cant blame godsmack for all
i am no fan but this is a cheap shot by the editor guy …
its quite obvious hes depp tryin to be michael moore
at least moore target people who are actually involved than some obscure
rock star…. pathetic …
What a pussy-boy ambush you did on a musician calling in thinking he’d be talking music. Then you looked like an ass when he asked 3 times what Magazine you were with.
Why would an individual even expend any effort on trying to attain political philosophy from a pop musician in the first place? Should I interrogate Moby on why he supports the sales of overpriced luxury cars? Or should I call Filter and criticize them for selling out to a tire company? The modern military has adopted corporate tactics for a more dynamic base. Why is it Godsmacks fault that they are putting out a product and sharing an opinion? Not every 18 year old in their demographic has visions of ajudicating problems with world hunger or can afford a 4 year university quality education. Is it a catchy song riff that is to blame for what some people interpret as bad decision making? Stopping everyone from joining the military would have catastrophic consequences in the geopolitical sphere. There exist cultures that do not recognize your right to even have a political opinion, and I count myself fortunate to exist in one that condones a modicum of expressive liberty. If you consider the military a mistake, don’t join. If you already did and you think it sucks, perhaps you should have taken the time to inform yourself. It’s astonishing to me that an argument is even to be had over one musicians decision to sell a snippet of a song to the Navy or not. Evaluations of the quality of the band are not even legitimate in this discussion, they are quite simply petty bickering.
Nice Interview, ASSHOLE.
Sully blew you a new asshole. Godsmack just made a new fan. And I’m a 55 year old Vietnam Vet.
The fact is that Jay Babcock is as big a WHORE as Sully is, they just sell themselves in different ways. Oh, and there is no connection between Iraq and 9-11 and/or al-Qaeda? I’m still skeptical about the no connection findings. But perhaps some of you should read the lawsuit of John P. O’Neill’s estate before making up your mind. (John P. O’Neill was the former head of the FBI counter-terrorist unit who died 2 weeks after working at his new job in security at the WTC.) The lawsuit is quite interesting.
http://cryptome.sabotage.org/oneill-v-iraq.htm
And so is Jayna Davis’s book “The Third Terrorist-The Middle East Connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing.”
http://www.jaynadavis.com
I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU DONT HONESTLY BELIEVE GODSMACK HAS INFLUENCE ENOUGH TO MAKE AVERAGE AMERICANS JUST GO AND SIGN UP FOR THE MILITARY. I GUESS THEY HAVE NO OTHER REASONS TO SIGN UP
OTHER THAN THE GREAT MUSIC GODSMACK PUTS OUT!!!THEY ARE NO MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT THAN GEORGE BUSH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HURRICANE KATRINA!!(ALTHOUGH IM SURE JAY FIRMLY BELIEVES THIS).YOUR AMBUSH OF AN INTERVIEW WAS PATHETIC.YOU OBVIOUSLY TOOK STATEMENTS OUT OF CONTEXT TO USE AGAINST SULLY.
YOUR OBVIOUSLY ANTI BUSH AND THATS YOUR RIGHT TO BE SO. BUT DONT SIT THERE AND GET GODSMACK INVOLVED IN THE EQUATION JUST FOR YOUR BULLSHIT VIEWS ON POLITICS.I AM 37 YRS OLD HAVE BEEN A GODSMACK FAN FOR YEARS AND ENJOY THE MUSIC FOR WHAT IT IS….HIGH ENERGY MOTIVATING MUSIC.DONT TRY
DILUTE IT WITH YOUR ASS BACKWARDS VIEWS. BASH THE WAR AND BUSH ON YOUR OWN INSTEAD OF USING A GODSMACK INTERVIEW TO TRY TO MAKE A POINT. DONT FORGET BILL CLINTON FORCED HIS HAND TO FREE MOHAMMAD ATTA FROM IMPRISONMENT IN ISRAEL(HE BLEW UP A BUS IN ISRAEL) ONLY TO FLY A FUCKIN PLANE INTO TOWER ONE A FEW YEARS LATER….I GUESS THATS ALSO GEORGE W’S FAULT… I DONT CLAIM TO HAVE THE ANSWERS AS TO WHY WE ARE IN IRAQ,BUT DONT FORGET SADAMM DID OFFER BIG MONEY TO ANY TERRORISTS
THAT ATTACKED THE U.S. IS THAT REASON ENOUGH PROBABLY NOT BUT AT LEAST SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.ONE LAST TOUGHT PLEASE LEAVE AMERICA ASAP AND GO WHERE THERE IS NO FREEDOM TO VIEW YOUR OPINION ON ANY LEVEL
AND SEE IF ANYONE EVER HEARS YOUR BULLSHIT AGAIN. JUST TAKE BILL AND HILLARY WITH YOU…MABYE YOU CAN CIRCLE JERK EACH OTHER OFF AND BLAME GODSMACK FOR THE WAR. GOD BLESS AMERICA AND PLEASE LEAVE
ASAP YOU PRICK
I’ll preview this paragraph by saying that I 100% agree that Godsmack’s political views are fucking retarded. Iraq is worse off now than it was under Saddam, in terms of the number of peopling dying each day. Saddam was an authoritarian asshole, but at least people had a modicum of food and water during his regime. Now it’s an anarchy.
That said, who gives a shit? I don’t listen to bands because I agree with the performers goddamn political views. It’s about the fucking music you morons, and I don’t know what the fuck this interviewer was doing asking Godsmack about the War in Iraq. Just what the hell does that have to do with anything remotely related to rock music? I’m not going to stop listening to Godsmack. I like their songs, and I can’t stop myself from having an arbitrary preference. So all these assholes trying to denigrate Godsmack because of their views in politics can kindly fuck off.
Hey, i rly love Godsmacks music, but JAY IS FUCKING RIGHT!.
So LOU, u are 37 years old and still a fucking retard, lol!. Jay has the very right to talk with Sully about whatever subject thats related to his music!, AND THE POWER IN HIS MUSIC AND HIS MILLITAY SUPPORT IS FUCKIN RELATED TO THAT!.
If u crazed Bush/CIA freaks would take a moment and actually read the interview, u would know that Jay actually got a very good point!, NO! NOBODY HAS EVER!, SAID THAT SULLY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY POLITICAL EVENT!. BUT!!! he is supporting the military, and therefor he has FREELY choosen his side in the big game!…He choose the side of Bush and the military, thou he might only be blinded by the false of the conservative it is still a problem.
He should learn something of Refused.. But Godsmack is still my no.1 heavy metal band.
Yes, i am a fucking socialist!. Or maxistic-leninst, call it what u wan’t, the fact is if we socialists weren’t around taking care of u small conservative kiddies u WOULDN’T have u “ohh so beloved freedom of speech”. So u better watch out, and respect Jay for his opinion cuz of these simple facts!.
1). He’s knowledge is builded on facts!
2). He keep a decent conversation with Sully
3). DUE TO THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH THE GUY HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPRESS HIS FEELINGS ABOUT SULLY AND HIS MUSIC!!.
That was all from me so far. I rly hope that Sully will see one day where Bush is leading -_-, YES! maybe 10.000 thousand of USA soldiers has died!, and so what!? EVEN IF THE NUMBER WAS 20.000 IT STILL WOULD BE FAR LESS THAN ALL THE INICENT IRAQ’S!!. But no u don’t ever remind u self of all the inocent Iraq’s or others from the middle east!. However every year u gotta hear THE STINKY SHIT OF OHH WORLD TRADE CENTER!, AS IF I GIVE A FUCK!!!! THE SHIT IS 5 FUCKING YEARS AGO!!!.. Ofcourse it is sad that so many died at World trade center, but it was somehow Bush’s fault!. He made USA a target for terror!. Luckly i think the democrates with the next election. As i said, it was sad with the loose of 2000 inocent americans that died at world trade (AND IT WAS 2000), BUT MATES!!, THAT IS STILL FAR FROM ALL THE INOCENT IRAQ’S IN IRAQ!!!..
Are you fuckin serious!? That is all fuckin bullshit. So what he let the fuckin military use his song for a fuckin commercial… Second of all.. ur talking about Sully being an asshole.. u fuckin attacked him for nothing. ur the fuckin prick. And those first couple of comments that says they’re from Godsmack fans… they’re not godsmack fans.. if they were they’d be fuckin huntin for Jay.
This whole fuckin interview is bullshit. We’re in war.. nothing anyone can fuckin do about it. it’s no one’s fault except for our government.. they decide when to fight and when not to. Not Godsmack… Not only that, but honestly, how many people would join the military just because Godsmack plays in their cmmercial!? It may get there attention but they’re only going to join if that’s what they want to do or if that’s their last resort. Ask the people in the military how many of them joined because of Godsmack, or anything else beside their own personal reasons! Jay is just a fuckin douche bag and is trying to blame the death of other people on someone else. Get over, there is nothing you can u can do. and there is no point in pointing ur fingers at Godsmack.. You won’t turn anyone away from them. So pretty much.. Jay and all the people who agree with that fuckin bullshit or r turned away from Godsmack now can go fuck yourselves! You guys are a bunch of fuckin of fuckin bitches!
I think what you have done in this interview was completely badger Sully. You barely talked about the band or the album except to disrespect them. From this I could see you making the Pope sound like a Satan worshiping madman! I don’t understand where you came from. Some Hippies are more respectable than you. The military used their song to show the power of what they were trying to portray. Godsmack music creates music to put emotion into you. Not to recruit you into the military. I saw them in concert in Detroit on Friday September 15, 2006. They opened with that video of the helicopter because that’s how the song starts out. Not once was there any subliminal messages about joining the military. They also don’t really approve nor disapprove of the military. Sully simply stated that he loves this country and that he respects those men and women who put their lives on the line to keep this country whole. He also never agreed or disagreed with what the government is doing at this time. If you want to go on a crusade against a subject like this interview the pathetic president that we have right now and see what he has to say. I bet you will be more amused…
270, that is exactly the problems with u faithful conservative people!. LEARN to read what the fuck i write and answer on that!. What i claim to be right is facts!, but u apparently are to scared to answer any of my facts!, u just sit in u chair spreading lies!. SERIOUSLY GET A LIFE AND LEARN THAT U AINT THE ONLY ONE WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!. Jay have freedom of speech too and therefor a right to say what he say!, everything he says (as said b4) is facts!, so u have no right to blame Jay for ANYTHING!!!.
And I AM a fucking real Godsmack fan, but just cuz i am that it dosn’t mean i run around kissing their ass like u Kayla.
Man, this Jay guy is an idiot!!!!!!!He totally mixed up Sully’s words.I totally understand Sully’s reactions, I would have done the same way. What’s this Jay guy think about himself.Accusing a band because the military wanted a Godsmack song for a commercial, and what if the military would have chosen another band, than Jay would be blaming them.And I don’t think that anyone between the age of 18-30. are stupid enough to go to war just because they heard their favourite band in a commercial.
I also think everyone has his own opinion about politics but thats everyones own business!
Sully Erna is a great guy, the leader of the best band Godsmack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Jay!!!Go To Iraq, End the War, if you do, than maybe you can say whatever you want,you should do something first to have the right to accuse anyone of anything!)
JAY BUTTCOCK. I READ YOUR ARTICLE /INTERVIEW WITH SULLY OF GODSMACK. THOUGH HE MAY NOT BE WELL INFORMED TO YOUR STANDARDS ABOUT THE MILITARY AND THE WAR AT HAND, YOU WERE TOTALLY OUT OF LINE! YOU WERE TRYING TO STIR SHIT UP TO SEE WHERE HE WOULD GO WITH IT. WHEN PUT ON THE SPOT, NO ONE LIKES A CONFRITATION MUCH LESS DISCUSS THIER POLITICAL VIEWS FOR SOME ONE TO STEP ALL OVER. YOU HAD NO REAL INTENTION TO INTERVIEW HIM FOR ANY THING OTHER THAN ABOUT HIS POLITICAL VIEWS. SHAME ON YOU!! SHAME ON YOUR MAGAZINE FOR SENDING YOU OUT TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH A ROCK BAND, WHEN CLEARLY YOU’D RATHER INTERVIEW BUSH! UNLESS YOUR’E MAG IS A POLITICAL SELLER, I SUGGEST YOU GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND WRITE ABOUT THE CRAP YOUR’E SUPPOSED TO. SULLY SEEMS TO BE A VERY QUIET PERSON, AND ONE WHO SPEAKS ONLY WHEN SPOKEN TO RESPECTFULLY. EVERYONE SHOULD BE RESPECTED. ANY HOW. THIS IS THE END OF MY COMMENTS. I SUGGEST YOU APPOLYGIZE TO SULLY, AND CLEAR THE AIR. YES HE IS A MILLIONAIRE, BUT ISN’T THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM. ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU WANT…REALLY.
JAY, GET YOUR FUCKING HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I, MEAN WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ? IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THE US MILITARY HANDLES THINGS THEN STIR SHIT UP WITH THEM, NOT A MUSICIAN. LET’S GET SOMETHING ELSE CLEAR, IF THE YOUNG KIDS ARE UNDER EDUCATED, WHOSE FAULT IS THAT ? GODSMACK’S OR IS THE FAULT OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THE PARENTS WHO HAD THIS RESPONSIBILITY ? NEXT TIME YOU OPEN YOUR BIG FUCKING MOUTH ABOUT SHIT THAT A ROCK BAND HAS NO CONTROL OVER, THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT TALKING TO THE COMMANDER AND CHIEF YOU CHICKEN SHIT. NOW THAT I’VE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY, LET ME SAY THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED THE OPPRITUNITY TO FURTHER MY EDUCATION, HAVE GREAT BENEFITS, AND ALL THAT BUT I’M AN INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETIC, SO THE DOOR OF THE MILITARY GETS SLAMED IN MY FACE. IS THAT FAIR, THAT BECAUSE I’M DIABETIC THAT I CAN’T CHOOSE TO ENLIST. JUST IN CASE YOUR DUMB ASS WAS WANDERING MY ILLNESS AFFECTS THE PANCREAS AND THE WAY THAT MY BODY METABOLZES THE SUGARS FOUND IN THE FOODS THAT I EAT, NOT MY FUCKING BRAIN. NOW BACK TO GODSMACK. FIRST THEY ARE GREAT MUSICALLY AND LYRICALLY, THEIR MUSIC IS ABOUT REAL SHIT. SHIT THAT HAPPENS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES. SECOND THEY PUT ON A GREAT LIVE SHOW. LASTLY, IS EVERY BAD THING THAT HAPPENS IN THE US FALL BACK ON A ROCK BAND ? I HAVE HAD TO LISTEN TO THIS KIND OF FUCKING BULLSHIT MY WHOLE LIFE. IT’S NO MORE THEIR FAULT (GODSMACK’S OR ANY OTHER BANDS FAULT)THE WARS IN IRAQ. CALL UP SOME ONE ELSE TO GET THEIR VIEW, AT LEAST GODSMACK SHOWED THEIR SUPPORT FOR OUR MILITARY BY PLAYING FREE SHOWS FOR THEM.
Godsmack was merely portraying their support for the military regarding praiseworthy abstractions. There are many people here who do not understand that the band was only supporting the spirit and honor of joining the military, for fighting for your country and defending your beliefs. The interviewer is attempting to make it appear as if Godsmack is embracing the violent ways of war. This is apparent in the interview from approximately three minutes onward. It is obvious this was a malicious attack, since Jay clearly looked for new, intricate ways to attack Sully when Jay had nothing left to say. The interviewer could have dropped the subject at any time, but he persisted, signifying that he had a view to some goal in mind. Most likely, this goal was to personally attack Godsmack’s actions by using misleading information and dishonest statements.
All in all, you should consider the basis of thought. It is quite simple, really. Godsmack wanted to use their music to support the troops and the country. There were no other matters involved. Sully is proud of his country, and he wished only to help. People such as Jay strike up irrelevant information and project it against Godsmack. Personally I find this quite sad, and, in a way, it is quite analogous to a terrorist attack, only on a smaller scale.
There is nothing more to it.
— Comment 272 :
“What i claim to be right is facts!”
Again, as with the interviewer. Fact they may be, but they are misleading. Sully boasts concrete and respectable actions that compose his ground. All actions can be blamed in some forms. It truly takes a feeble mind to stoop so low as to attempt the aforementioned.
“u just sit in u chair spreading lies!. SERIOUSLY GET A LIFE AND LEARN THAT U AINT THE ONLY ONE WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!”
In this short sentence contains hipocrisy so great that it renders your view completely unintelligable. Her information was also based off facts. Since they are provable, she ALSO has the right to speak freely. Kayla also never stated or implied that she was the only one to possess freedom of speech. On another note, she is not the one who should get a life. I believe you are the only one whom has posted more than once . . .
“Jay have freedom of speech too and therefor a right to say what he say!, everything he says (as said b4) is facts!, so u have no right to blame Jay for ANYTHING!!!.
And I AM a fucking real Godsmack fan, but just cuz i am that it dosn’t mean i run around kissing their ass like u Kayla.”
This is just another exemplification of your foolish process of thinking. I do not feel the need to proceed any further with examining your wasteful posts. I believe your statements are the direct reflections of a childish mind.
Thank you.
maybe Godsmack needed the money from the military commercial to pay royalties to Alice in Chains for stealing their band name and to Pantera for stealing that “stronger than all” line.
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Fantastic. Twisting his words? Ha! For those who aren’t familiar with the Socratic Method:
Godsmack made lots of money allowing their song to be used by the military. This means they are ostensibly using their fame to encourage their fans to join, by glamourising the life of a soldier.
Now, for Godsmack to assume any kind of antiwar stance would be incredibly hypocritical. But it doesn’t stop Sully doing exactly that. He tries to weasel his way out of his own ill-informed, ill-considered beliefs.
The point of the article is that Godsmack are either slyly propagandist hypocrites, or corporate whores willing to cast aside any ethical beliefs just to add to the cashpile. Sully was off-guard and ill-informed, that much is certainly true. But all that means is that he probably shouldn’t have shot his mouth off in the first place. All Jay has done is call him on it. And good on him for that.
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Hold on, he’s just twistin Sully’s words around man. He’s tryin to make it seem like the war, and the young soilders is all Godsmack’s fault. Its like those ppl that blame music for suicides, or blame television for the stupid stunts a kid would do. NO, its the listener’s or viewer’s fault for thinking they have to do exactly what it says or shows. And what does this have to do with their music? Its more about what this guy thinks about Sully. He’s just blaming their music, and twisting Sully’s words around.
I cannot believe Sully was attacked like that!! I have no idea where he was going with this interview, anyway!
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Arthur you are a dick.
This is hilarious, man you are a fucking dick. And from reading the comments…most of the people who has seen this agree with me. You’re the typical anti-war asshole looking to argue your side with anyone and it so happen that Sully was the one at the receiving end. If you want to argue, do it with someone who is pro-war (really PRO-WAR) not like Sully who was only being a supportive American. Sully I Applaud you for lasting as long as did with this immature ass. If you live in America why would you not be supportive of our troops!? They are the ones who life is on the line to protect our freedom…the boys and girls in the army have made their own decision about joining the army and I’m pretty sure they know what at stake, and you are a total idiot if you think a commercial influenced anyones decision to join…if someone joins the army it’s entirely their choice! Jay…you’re an ass and you proved it yourself in this interview. “IGNORANCE IS BLISS”
I signed up because its the life I wanted and our country needs defending. I like Godmack because their music is badass and they support us. I hope they fired this guy. Sully fuckin rules
Look, as a former Marine, I just have to say that was an ambush, and you know it, as for trying to rationalize to you the purpose for the military and what they do? Well, I’ll just say this, I don’t argue with idiots, They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Even if you win, you still lose. It’s kind of like winning a medal in the Special Olympics, (before some ass goes nuts, this is not derogatory to Special Olympians) You won, but you’re still retarded.
What did you actually stand to gain by blindsiding Sully like that, you self-impressed asshole? We were over in Iraq because we were directly attacked on our soil. And what the hell’s wrong with you, huh? You think that if a terrorist attack occurs in our country we should just roll over and TAKE that!?! What kind of a spineless anti-American ARE you? Godsmack’s music is MUSIC. That’s it. And if they accepted a contract to do a joint PR campaign then more power to them. I intend to join the Army and it has nothing to do with anything I heard in a TV commercial. And honestly, if we didn’t have a strong military force backing us, how could we keep up our position as the world’s leader? From reading this “interview”, I’ve figured out two things; One, that you have some personal issue with our country’s military policy, and also that you have a problem with our capitalistic economy. If you can pump out 3000 magazines a month, good for you. but Don’t go attacking a performing artist just for helping with a commercial, and if you have a beef with the army, then try and think up a better way of voicing it. God damn Shortsighted self-impressed liberal.
Simply put Jay, Godsmacks music has big ole BALLS and the military (Navy) wanted to use it because it went with the theme they wanted to display and as an entrepreneur of sorts it was a good business decision on Godsmacks part. We all are proud of our young men and women who protect and defend our country from all threats foreign and domestic. With that said the military did not decide to go to war theirs is not to question why but do or die, but they are BADASS like GODSMACK. Are you a fool yourself? Do you not understand that people do die in wars? It sucks yes it does but I am certainly proud that our military isn’t made up and comprised of chickenshit pussies like yourself. If you lived in a country where your government took all your weapons and killed all your young men to the extent that you could not fight the tyranny wouldn’t you welcome a foreign army to come and liberate you? Especially from a government that threatens the well being of the whole world. Okay so he was full of shit, shouldn’t have run his mouth then. Saddam was crying like a bitch. Got your back Sully.
godsmack #1 fast metal music alive in zagreb ahahhahha
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And where are we now, ten years after this ridiculous ambush interview?
Godsmack is still going strong. Its most recent album 1000HP was released in August 2014 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. The album has since has sold several hundred thousand copies and Godsmack hit the road for yet another successful tour..
Arthur Magazine went out of business in 2011, attempted a resurgence in 2012, then closed for good in 2014. I never read the magazine so I have no idea what the editorial content was like. But if this interview is any indiction, then it’s no surprise at all that Arthur went the way of the dodo bird.
Mr. Babcock’s desperate attempt to paint Sully Erna as some sort of Ted Nugent-esque, right-wing nutjob was downright cringe-inducing. Even if Erna did cling to his guns and Bible, talk about a misdirected target! Mr. Babcock was one of many journalists who made me embarrassed to be liberal back during the W years.
Anyway, yeah. It’s been ten years since this interview. Godsmack is still going strong. Arthur Magazine is dead and forgotten. He who laughs last…..
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