A number of years in the past, Godsmack frontman Sully Erna talked about that 2023’s Lighting Up the Sky is likely to be the group’s final album. The 2024 departures of guitarist/vocalist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin solidified such hypothesis, but throughout his current look on Kylie Olsson’s Life in Six Strings podcast, Erna shifted his stance to debate why there could possibly be a brand new Godsmack album in spite of everything.
What Did Erna Say About Godsmack’s Potential New Album?
The episode (which was uploaded to YouTube on Dec. 22) sees Olsson touring Erna’s “home of music” as they talk about his profession, influences, pursuits and the like.
About midway into the 35-minute clip, Olsson asks Erna: “Do you suppose there’ll be one other Godsmack document,” to which he replies: “I believe there’ll. I mentioned there wasn’t going to be, and not less than I do know there will not be with the unique members.”
He continues by specifying that Rombola and Larkin have formally retired “very honorably” from Godsmack, including:
We’re nonetheless actually good pals. There is not any drama there. I am placing some new individuals in place. I am nonetheless in some trial intervals, however we now have some plans coming in 2026 that we’re enthusiastic about, and it is gonna be good. I imply, the band’s coming into the peak of our profession. All these years later, we’re hitting one other second the place we’re doing our greatest attendance, and there’s actually like – it’s kinda come full circle.
To be truthful, this isn’t the primary time Erna modified his tune relating to the finality of Godsmack’s studio work.
For example, he appeared on Loudwire Nights again in February of 2024 and informed host Chuck Armstrong that “you’ll be able to by no means say by no means” on the subject of the group doing a follow-up to Lighting Up the Sky.
He elaborated [via Loudwire]:
We do not know what the longer term holds. We simply really feel like proper now, it feels proper to sort of honor the catalog and exit and play the reside reveals as a result of — and I say this egoless — when you end up at a degree in your profession the place we now have 27 High 10 singles, we now have 13 No. 1 songs…it is like, at what level do you honor the music and begin pondering of the followers? . . . Sooner or later, will we ever write one other music? It may occur. Will I ever do a collaboration? In fact, it may occur.
That mentioned, his most up-to-date feedback suggest not solely {that a} new Godsmack album may occur however that it will occur, and that Erna’s already fascinated by find out how to do it.
Would you like a brand new Godsmack album, although? What do you consider Lighting Up the Sky and/or the band’s current lineup adjustments? Tell us!
Additionally, you’ll be able to watch Erna’s full episode of Life in Six Strings under:
Sully Erna Discusses Godsmack’s Previous + Future on Kylie Olsson’s Life in Six Strings Podcast
READ MORE: Rockers Inform Their Wildest Tattoo Tales
Extra About Godsmack’s Studio Retirement + Current Lineup Modifications
To dive a bit deeper into why Lighting Up the Sky was positioned as Godsmack’s final document, Erna mentioned in late 2022 that the band “put each single ounce of vitality and emotion into [it]” and that it represented his “life journey.”
He expounded:
I wanna ensure persons are clear about what we’re saying right here. I am not saying that the band could also be breaking apart. What I am saying is I believe this can be the final physique of labor you get musically from the band. And it is as a result of we’re on this place in our lives proper now the place we have executed quite a lot of work over the past three many years. With out sounding egotistical, which we’re not making an attempt to do, we’re at 27 High 10 singles, 11 Quantity Ones. We may actually do back-to-back nights in an enviornment and play 15 songs an evening and by no means play the identical single twice, not to mention the ‘B’ cuts.
We began pondering, after we had been in that thought course of, why are we in right here grinding on a regular basis and doing this new music after we wanna simply additionally know that we have by no means stopped within the 25 years we have been touring. We might like to have the ability to get pleasure from our lives, our household, our homes, the issues that we have earned through the years that we have sacrificed. So I believe the steadiness for that, the pleased medium, is to have the ability to simply go on the market now and proceed to do reside reveals and put the greatest-hits present collectively.
I do not know what we’re gonna do after this document. And it does not make sense to proceed to do music. It actually feels full in a great way, in a constructive approach. We really feel like we have honored our profession, {our relationships} with our followers, and we’re all the time gonna be there for them; we’re gonna do reveals. However so far as to proceed this, after this [album], except we simply determine at some point, ‘Yeah, yet one more for the street,’ I believe this could possibly be it for us with new music.
As talked about earlier than, his February 2024 Loudwire Nights look noticed him reconsidering – or not less than rephrasing – his intentions with Godsmack.
This previous April, each Larkin and Rombola revealed that they’d stop Godsmack in 2024 as a result of they “didn’t wish to tour anymore.”
Godsmack uploaded an announcement to social media relating to the matter, too (which you’ll see under).
In it, they shared the “bittersweet information” that following “virtually 3 unbelievable many years, two of our most cherished members, . . . have determined to retire from the band completely, on good phrases, however for no different motive than to meet their need to reside a extra easy and quiet life away from touring.”
The message additionally stipulated:
Their departure marks the tip of an period, but it surely additionally opens the door for brand new and thrilling prospects. . . . Robbie [Merrill, bass] and I [Sully Erna] are additionally excited to discover new instructions, and though we now have not made any everlasting choices about who might substitute [them], we will probably be persevering with this journey collectively, and we look ahead to sharing the choices we make with all of you as they occur. . . . Let’s have fun the reminiscences we’ve made collectively whereas all of us look ahead to our future collectively.
Subsequently, Erna and Merrill welcomed Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and lead guitarist Sam Bam Koltun as reside fill-ins. Neither musician has been named an official member of Godsmack, after all, and following the tip of their 2025 European tour, Erna confirmed that the group would take a “full yr off.”
Certainly, and per setlist.fm, their final live performance was in Germany on April 12.
Different Godsmack Information
It seems like Erna was 100% right about Godsmack’s year-long break, as they received’t be returning to the street till Might of 2026.
In actual fact, they’ve bought an entire bunch of reveals scheduled between the beginning of Might and the tip of August, with stops throughout the globe as they play festivals corresponding to Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple.
You may see all of their upcoming dates – and seize tickets – right here!
The Songs 30 Enormous Rock + Metallic Bands Solely Performed Reside As soon as
Notice: songs that had been performed as a part of a medley and canopy songs weren’t thought-about for this checklist. Solely full performances of particular person songs had been taken into consideration.
Gallery Credit score: Joe DiVita
