Godsmack - Greed

What this video is

Released as the third and final single from Godsmack's second album Awake (Universal, 2000), 'Greed' arrived at the apex of post-grunge's mainstream commercial penetration. The song's subject — a former associate who financially exploited the band's early success — reflects broader anxieties about artistic commodification and class betrayal endemic to the era's rock discourse. The video's comedic, revenge-fantasy…

Why it matters

A documented case study in early-2000s major-label pressure on hard rock acts to soften visual identity for mainstream crossover. The video's hybrid narrative/performance structure and comedic tone contrast sharply with the band's earlier, darker aesthetic, making it a primary-source artifact of…

The director

Troy Smith is a Seattle-native DP and director who trained at NYU film school. His early career encompassed grunge-era videos for Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Nirvana before relocating to LA, where he lensed over 400 music videos. His…