It’s easy to mock nu-metal survivors Godsmack. I know this for a fact, as I regularly do it myself when one of their catalogue of self-regarding bro metal anthems comes on the radio (just be pleased the radio isn’t playing Pop Evil – Ed). But you know what, it’s equally easy to praise Sully Erna‘s single-minded dedication to the cause, and the band’s sheer stickability and the fact that they’ve carved out a corner of the rock pantheon (note: that’s a ‘pantheon’ and not a horrific, made-by-suits-for-suits ‘hall of fame’) that will be forever Godsmack thanks to their own blood sweat and tears. I like a band that can do that.

Erna has said that Lighting Up The Sky will be the band’s final foray into the world of the traditional ‘album’, so it’s pleasing to hear the band putting their full weight behind the record in order to give themselves a fitting sendoff. Boneheaded moments still abound, of course – Red White and Blue, I’m looking at you – but for the most part Sully, longstanding drummer Shannon Larkin, guitarist Tommy Rombola and bassist Robbie Merrill accentuate the positive in a set of driving, mature hard rock that’s absolutely nailed on to appeal to anyone who has ever felt the slightest bit, um, alive, over the past twenty eight years.

What About Me is a dramatic early highlight, but the album’s best material is loaded towards the end of the record; Best Of Times isn’t in that category, sounding like something AI might come up with when tasked to write a nu-metal anthem for 2023, but the slow burning Growing Old, which follows it, is quite superb; Southern rock flavours inform the song’s structure, whilst Erna gives a committed performance behind the mic in concert with some nice fat chordage from Merrill (who plays a blinder throughout, it has to be said) which inevitably blossoms into a drama-laden solo midsong. It’s the sort of song modern rock radio is crying out for, and I hope it’ll replace some of the band’s more venerable material on the airwaves before too long.

The title track plays the album out in similarly exciting style, and you’ve got to hand it to Godsmack – if this is their final recorded testament, then, as swansongs go, it’s a pretty good ‘un…

Lighting Up The Sky releases today (February 24th).