GODSMACK's 'The Oracle' Tops BILLBOARD Chart

"The Oracle", the fifth album from Massachusetts rockers GODSMACK, sold 117,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

GODSMACK's last album, "IV", opened with 211,000 units back in May 2006 to land at No. 1. This figure was a bit less than the 267,000 units registered by GODSMACK's third CD, "Faceless", back in April 2003, and the 256,000 first-week tally achieved by 2000's "Awake".

"Cryin' Like A Bitch", the new video from GODSMACK, can be viewed below. The Mixed Martial Arts-driven clip features UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) champions Chuck Liddell, Rashad Evans, Brock Lesner, BJ Penn, and Matt Hughes brutally knocking out the competition and showcasing their raw strength while GODSMACK performs the aggressive rock anthem in a warehouse.

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna admitted in a recent webisode for "The Oracle", that "Cryin' Like A Bitch" was inspired by events of last summer's Crüe Fest 2 tour, on which GODSMACK appeared alongside headliners MÖTLEY CRÜE. Sully told Artisan News Service at the time, "There's definitely been some rock-star garbage on this tour that we just have never seen in our career . . . this was the first time that I felt like, 'You know what?! If there's gonna be some people that are gonna treat other people a certain way, then I'm gonna go out there every night and . . . make sure that we make you look old and fat, and go home with a nice big fat paycheck."

According to HardDrive Radio, Erna intended the song as a slam on MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, although that has yet to be officially confirmed by anyone in the GODSMACK camp.

Samples of some of the lyrics on "Cryin' Like A Bitch" include lines like: "Strut on by like a king/Telling everybody they know nothing/Long lived what you thought you were/Time ain't on your side anymore"

Produced by frontman Sully Erna and Dave Fortman, who has worked with MUDVAYNE and EVANESCENCE, among others, "The Oracle" is another lyrical and musical touchstone for the four-member band. The new album revels in GODSMACK's scorching underpinnings, served up via Erna's monster vocals on "Cryin' Like A Bitch" and other songs, including "Saints And Sinners", "War And Peace" and "Love, Hate, Sex, Pain".

Picking up where they left off with last year's live triumph, the group has mapped out a rigorous spring 2010 live rollout. GODSMACK has been chosen to headline the fourth annual installment of the popular Rock On The Range festival, to be held in Columbus, Ohio's, Columbus Crew Stadium on May 22-23. GODSMACK will lead a 37-band charge for the two-day hard rock event, which also includes ROB ZOMBIE, THREE DAYS GRACE, LIMP BIZKIT, RISE AGAINST, and others. GODSMACK is also gearing up for a slew of other May live festivals, including Edgefest VI at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds on May 8, Iowa radio station 89.7's Rockfest in Council Bluffs, Iowa on May 14, the 2010 Lazerfest at Indianola Balloon Grounds in Indianola, Iowa on May 16, and this year's Rocklahoma festival held during Memorial Day weekend in Pryor, Oklahoma.

"The Oracle" track listing:

01. Cryin' Like a Bitch
02. Saints and Sinners
03. War and Peace
04. Love Hate Sex Pain
05. What If?
06. Devil's Swing
07. Good Day to Die
08. Forever Shamed
09. Shadow of a Soul
10. The Oracle