Godsmack

If there were a church dedicated to Alice in Chains, Godsmack would be there every Sunday. Named for an Alice in Chains song and fronted by Sully Erna, a singer obviously indebted to the late Layne Staley, the group has even followed a similar trajectory as the renowned grunge band, moving from a harder, metal sound to more acoustic territory. They make more of a direct plea for the Ozzfest crowd than Alice in Chains would have, however. Their breakthrough single, “I Stand Alone,” was the aural equivalent of being punched in the genitals by a screaming professional wrestler who had just shot-gunned one too many Old Styles—which made it a fitting inclusion on The Scorpion King soundtrack. After flirting with acoustic sounds on recent albums, the band returned to roaring heavy metal on last year's The Oracle, which yielded the single “Cryin' Like a Bitch.”