Avalon (Sully Erna album)
Encyclopedia
Avalon is the first solo studio album
by American rock musician Sully Erna
, released on September 14, 2010. Avalon is a combination of work that took Sully Erna almost seven years to complete.
is our lifeblood and we don't have any plans on trying to break this thing up. But, you know, we do want to venture out a little bit and just do some side stuff."
While other Godsmack members were busy with their side project, Another Animal
, it was reported by The Pulse of Radio that Sully Erna has officially launched his solo tour. The tour started on May 1, 2008, and ended on August 1, 2008. During the tour, Erna performed "Eyes of a Child", and "Until Then". Both songs are not featured on any known Godsmack album or compilation.
During 2008, many people questioned the future of Godsmack, and rumors began swirling. Sully Erna put those rumors to rest, stating "The band's in great shape. We're getting along wonderfully, and there's no problems whatsoever. We all know this is an entity we can't just shut down; it's gonna continue to go, and everybody's just kinda doing something on the side that's...a little different than what we'd do from Godsmack."
In March 2009, It was reported that Sully Erna has finished recording his first solo album, entitled Avalon. According to Erna, Avalon is a combination of work that took him almost seven years to complete. Erna described Avalon as his best work to date, stating "I truly believe that this is my best work to date. I'm more proud of this record than any other music I have ever recorded."
In further describing the album's sound, Sully Erna posted a message on the band official forums, stating:
Erna goes on to explain that the album was recorded with instruments such as hand drums, cellos, flutes and piano, making it very different from his signature sound with Godsmack.
The album features Lisa Guyer who had performed backing vocals for the song "Hollow
" on Godsmack's previous album
, classically trained cellist Irina Chirkova, and percussionist Niall Gregory of Dead Can Dance
.
On September 25, Sully Erna told the Artisan News Service in a video interview that he was approached to record "Sinner's Prayer" for 2010's Sylvester Stallone
film "The Expendables
", which will also feature Jason Statham
, Jet Li
, Mickey Rourke
and Randy Couture
. A few months later, however, Erna stated that the song won't be featured in that movie because Stallone changed the scene the song was attached to.
chart with first-week sales of nearly 14,000 copies.
sent the song to U.S. radio on August 3, 2010. The song became available as a digital download on August 3, 2010.
A music video of the song featuring Sully Erna's solo band members performing the song was released on September 15, 2010.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rock musician Sully Erna
Sully Erna
Salvatore Paul "Sully" Erna , is an American vocalist and primary songwriter for the American heavy metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a guitarist and drummer, performing these both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria.-Early...
, released on September 14, 2010. Avalon is a combination of work that took Sully Erna almost seven years to complete.
Background
In October 2006, Launch Radio Networks reported that Sully Erna has started working on his solo album. Although he wasn't exactly sure what shape it will take, Erna told Launch Radio Networks that "I've been putting some thought into it," he said. "I actually have some stuff that I'm doing on the side right now. I don't know when I'm gonna kind of unleash something like that, and I don't know really what it's gonna be yet. I have a couple of different ideas, and I'm not sure what and when it's gonna happen, but of course GodsmackGodsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
is our lifeblood and we don't have any plans on trying to break this thing up. But, you know, we do want to venture out a little bit and just do some side stuff."
While other Godsmack members were busy with their side project, Another Animal
Another Animal
Another Animal is a hard rock supergroup formed by members of Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Dropbox.-History:During the writing sessions of IV by Godsmack, lead singer Sully Erna encountered writer's block so Tony Rombola, Shannon Larkin, and Robbie Merill went to the studio and recorded music. After...
, it was reported by The Pulse of Radio that Sully Erna has officially launched his solo tour. The tour started on May 1, 2008, and ended on August 1, 2008. During the tour, Erna performed "Eyes of a Child", and "Until Then". Both songs are not featured on any known Godsmack album or compilation.
During 2008, many people questioned the future of Godsmack, and rumors began swirling. Sully Erna put those rumors to rest, stating "The band's in great shape. We're getting along wonderfully, and there's no problems whatsoever. We all know this is an entity we can't just shut down; it's gonna continue to go, and everybody's just kinda doing something on the side that's...a little different than what we'd do from Godsmack."
In March 2009, It was reported that Sully Erna has finished recording his first solo album, entitled Avalon. According to Erna, Avalon is a combination of work that took him almost seven years to complete. Erna described Avalon as his best work to date, stating "I truly believe that this is my best work to date. I'm more proud of this record than any other music I have ever recorded."
Sound
Sully Erna described the album as being "A very different kind of sounding record," and "A huge departure from anything I've ever done." When interviewed by Billboard.com, Erna described the sound of his upcoming solo album as being very Native American tribal rhythms, stating "It's gonna be very Native American tribal rhythms mixed with these Middle Eastern bluesy kind of vocals. This is a project to get a different kind of music out of me that I feel is inside me. .. and not for any expectations about how big the hit may be or if it's gonna make it on the radio."In further describing the album's sound, Sully Erna posted a message on the band official forums, stating:
Erna goes on to explain that the album was recorded with instruments such as hand drums, cellos, flutes and piano, making it very different from his signature sound with Godsmack.
The album features Lisa Guyer who had performed backing vocals for the song "Hollow
Hollow (Godsmack song)
Hollow is an acoustic song by the heavy metal band Godsmack from their fourth studio album, IV. Frontman Sully Erna and Lisa Guyer are on the song vocals...
" on Godsmack's previous album
IV (Godsmack album)
-Track listing:-Godsmack:* Sully Erna - rhythm guitar, vocals, producer* Tony Rombola - lead guitar, backing vocals* Robbie Merrill - bass guitar* Shannon Larkin - drums, percussion-Others:*P. R...
, classically trained cellist Irina Chirkova, and percussionist Niall Gregory of Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
.
Album title
According to Sully Erna, the album was named after one of the songs on the album, entitled "Avalon", because it encompasses the album as a whole, stating:Promotion
In order to promote his solo album, Sully Erna has taken a different approach to getting his new music heard, stating "What we’re doing right now is just speaking with a lot of different film companies to see what movies are coming out this year and next year and trying to attach some of the songs to that."On September 25, Sully Erna told the Artisan News Service in a video interview that he was approached to record "Sinner's Prayer" for 2010's Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
film "The Expendables
The Expendables (2010 film)
The Expendables is a 2010 American ensemble action film written by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, and directed by Stallone. Filming began on March 28, 2009, in Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, and the film was released in theaters on August 13, 2010 in North America.The film is...
", which will also feature Jason Statham
Jason Statham
Jason Statham born 12 September1967) is an English actor and former diver, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Revolver, Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels...
, Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
, Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
and Randy Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
. A few months later, however, Erna stated that the song won't be featured in that movie because Stallone changed the scene the song was attached to.
Release history
| Country | Date | Distributing label | Format | Catalog | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
September 13, 2010 | Spinefarm Records Spinefarm Records Spinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... and Music download services Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
B004071TIG | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
September 14, 2010 | Universal Republic Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:... |
B003XQRZA6 |
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number twenty-four on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with first-week sales of nearly 14,000 copies.
Critical response
Upon its release, Avalon received unanimously positive reviews from music critics.- Evigshed was one of the first websites to comment on Avalon, giving the album a perfect rating, stating "Sully Erna's Avalon is not simply a good album. It is an excellent first solo record, inspiring, inventive, peaceful, a must listen and a real delight.", then he finished his review with "It successfully combines haunting melodies with inspired tribal rhythms and a real sense of harmony. I really love Sully’s vocal style. Avalon is simply an excellent album and certainly is worth a listen. It is wholly captivating and brilliant. It will blow your mind."
- Colin McNamara of Reflection of Darkness gave the album nine stars of ten, stating "For GodsmackGodsmackGodsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
fans who felt that their latest album, The OracleThe Oracle (Godsmack album)The Oracle, formerly known as Saints & Sinners, is the fifth studio album by American hard rock band Godsmack, released in the U.S. on May 4, 2010....
, was a letdown due to a lack of tribal/spiritual influences, Avalon is the perfect remedy for that.", then he added, "Every song is a spiritual journey that doesn’t preach religion, just the stuff of life. Erna certainly respects his Wicca/ pagan beliefs, but his ultimate goal with Avalon was to connect his own life through readers in numerous ways, not his religious practices. Definitely worth looking into for those who like new age or acoustic music with strong messages." - Scott Ward of Sea of Tranquility gave the album extremely positive review, awarding it four and a half stars out of five, and stating "There is so much good on this album from top to bottom that it is hard to find any fault with it at all. This one is just great music from start to finish. Sully has given us a special treat that is meant to be savored.", then he added, "As good as the Godsmack album was earlier this year, this one is a much more powerful musical statement"
- Bob Zerull of Zoiks! Online described Avalon as "one of the last great albums.", adding, "With Avalon Sully Erna earns the respect he's always deserved, but never gotten. Avalon is one of the last great masterpiece albums."
- Kristyn of Pop Culture Madness gave the album positive review, and praised it's honestly stating, "The tracks take the listener on a musical journey, painting vivid imagery and allowing us to lose ourselves in the albums haunting melodies and tribal rhythms. Sully Erna truly shows his amazing versatility as an artist, and the lyrical content exposes Erna’s more vulnerable side, which we don’t always get to see, as we are used to hearing the aggressive side of him with Godsmacks’ tunes.", she added, "Tracks like “Broken Road” and “7 Years” show raw honesty, which is something we see very little of in today’s music landscape."
- James Christopher Monger of AllMusic gave the album positive review, and praised Erna's inventive and new musical approach, "...there’s a lot to be said for managing to crank out such a powerful product with all of the amps turned off.", he added, "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."
Sinner's Prayer
"Sinner's Prayer" featuring singer Lisa Guyer is the lead single from the album. Universal RecordsUniversal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
sent the song to U.S. radio on August 3, 2010. The song became available as a digital download on August 3, 2010.
A music video of the song featuring Sully Erna's solo band members performing the song was released on September 15, 2010.
Track listing
Credits and personnel
- Sully ErnaSully ErnaSalvatore Paul "Sully" Erna , is an American vocalist and primary songwriter for the American heavy metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a guitarist and drummer, performing these both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria.-Early...
- vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Lisa Guyer - vocals
- Irina Chirkova - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Niall Gregory - percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Tim Theriault - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Chris Decato - keyboards
- Chris Lester - acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- David Stefanelli - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Joe Clapp - engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
- Angelo Caputo - engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
- Steve Catizone - engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, keyboards - David Pier - engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
- Andrew Murdock - mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Chart positions
Album - Billboard| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
24 |
| US Billboard Rock Albums | 9 |
| US Billboard Digital Albums | 21 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
65 |