GODSMACK's SULLY ERNA On Coronavirus Pandemic: 'This Isn't The End Of The World'

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna spoke to Pierre Robert of the 93.3 WMMR radio station about how he is dealing with the coronavirus crisis. He said (hear audio below): "I just refuse to subscribe to the idea of 'this is the new norm.' It's not gonna happen, and people need to relax and just know that this thing's gonna pass, just like everything else has passed in our past — like the flu and HIV and the swine flu and SARS and whatever else we've had. I just think it's gonna really be up to us to get our heads together here and be responsible and do the right thing.

"I'm not being disrespectful to people that are older and have illnesses — I know this is killing those kind of people and it's there and it's real," he continued. "But at the same time, c'mon — we're not gonna be that kind of world that's gonna walk around with masks forever and not shake each other's hands and give each other a hug. Human aren't designed for that — we're not designed to be isolated and not have human contact.

"I just think we have to be smart and take the lessons that this is giving us, like don't sneeze in your hand and then shake my hand, 'cause that's gross. So it's gonna help us pay attention to our hygiene more — don't press elevator buttons and put your hands all over an escalator and then lick your hands or something like that — but at the same time, I personally want to help promote the 'don't live in fear' kind of thing. 'Cause how we respond afterwards, how we dictate how we get back to what's normal, it's really up to us.

"It's not Armageddon, man," Sully added. "This isn't the end of the world. It's gonna be okay. It's unfortunate that people have died from this, and it's a real mess, but I just don't want people getting traumatized to the point that they feel like they're never gonna be able to get back to a normal world, because I'm not gonna live in that kind of world — I'm gonna hug my daughter, I'm gonna shake my friends' hands, and I'm just gonna be responsible, as we should be in general, with hygiene."

GODSMACK recently notched its fourth No. 1 single from 2018's "When Legends Rise" album. "Unforgettable" joins "Under Your Scars", "Bulletproof" and the title track as songs from the LP that have hit the top of the rock radio chart, making GODSMACK one of just four rock acts to reach this accomplishment. The song is also the band's 11th No.1 overall.

GODSMACK has scrapped all 2020 touring plans in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and will spend the rest of the year working on a new album.

Erna revealed to SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation": "We were going out with THE PRETTY RECKLESS to do a major tour in July through September, but all that's gone now." He added that he doesn't see the crisis resolving itself fast enough for people to "jump back into big crowds yet."

Erna explained: "I do think there's gonna be a lag where people are gonna [say], 'Maybe I'm not gonna go right to a concert yet or a sports event and be around a lot of people; there's lingering parts of this thing going on.'"

He continued: "And.. with people losing houses and their jobs and stuff like that, I think when it comes back, they're gonna be like, 'All right. I'm glad it's over. Let's get back to work. But I probably should replenish my savings account before I start buying concert tickets.'"