Godsmack released their self-titled debut album on August 25, 1998. The band originally formed in 1995 when frontman Sully Erna connected with bassist Robbie Merrill and the band’s first drummer Tommy Stewart. They were initially called the Scam. After scoring several self-released hits on local radio in their hometown of Boston, the band was signed to Universal/Republic Records and they recorded at the city’s New Alliance Studios. The album debuted at number 22 on the Billboard 200 chart has since gone four-times platinum. The self-titled release followed two years of touring behind their self-released demos, but while speaking with Billboard in 1999, Erna said that the experience made them stronger:“I prefer that this band grew from a street level instead of being an overnight sensation. When you grow a band from club level people embrace you more because the same people who saw you in the clubs tend to stay with you.”