SULLY ERNA Confirms New GODSMACK Music Will 'Happen At Some Point Next Year': 'I'm Very Curious Myself Where It'll Go'

In a new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, hosted by "Mistress Carrie" Sarao, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna confirmed that there are plans for him and his bandmates to work on new music as a follow-up to 2023's "Lighting Up The Sky" album. Referencing the fact that he previously said "Lighting Up The Sky" would be GODSMACK's final album, Sully clarified (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think there was a misunderstanding from the beginning. When I announced that, and people were asking me about, like, 'What's the future of GODSMACK now?', my statement was, and maybe I just didn't phrase it the right way, but it was gonna be that 'Lighting Up The Sky', our last full-length album, was gonna be the last new music you would ever hear from the original [GODSMACK] members. I knew those guys [drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola], were gonna retire, and I was trying to tell people, without giving it up too early in the year, that this is probably the last time you're ever gonna hear anything new from the original lineup. And I think just people twisted that into, like, there's gonna be no more new GODSMACK. But no, for one, I'm under contract, and I owe another record anyways. And for two, I wanna do a record with these [new] guys, 'cause I'm curious to see where it goes."

Erna continued: "I know over the years, being a fan of music myself, it was always interesting to hear that new ALICE IN CHAINS record or that new whatever record, when they're changing members or a member passes away. And I'll be honest, I'm not always the biggest fan of that, 'cause the core of it and what I was raised with was the original members of AEROSMITH or STP [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] or whoever the band was. And once you change some of those dynamics, especially in a singer, the whole sound can change drastically. I mean, ALICE IN CHAINS, they didn't have a choice, and STP, no choice. But in this case, I'm hoping for the best because at least to the audience, to the fans' point of view, when they come see us now, the sound isn't really changing for them, because the voice hasn't changed. I'm still here, and a guitar can sound just like a guitar, and a drum can sound just like a drum. So hopefully, even with the new record and it still being my voice and carrying the sound of GODSMACK, hopefully we'll have some new textures. These guys are different kind of players. I'm very curious myself where it'll go, but it's gonna happen, and it's gonna happen at some point next year."

Erna also talked about GODSMACK's current lineup, which consists of Sully on vocals and guitar, bassist Robbie Merrill, guitarist Sam Koltun and former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini. Mangini made his live debut with GODSMACK on June 12 at the Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, Missouri following the abrupt departure of Wade Murff. Wade stepped into GODSMACK in early May as the replacement for Larkin, who quit the band in late 2024, along with Rombola, because they didn't want to tour anymore. Sully said: "We needed [Mangini], because it's so hard to replace someone like Shannon. I mean, [Shannon is] such a unique player and artist. And I still believe that he's the GOAT when it comes to rock music, 'cause his playing is so amazing, but his visual, his showmanship is like no other. And everybody knows that, from the Morgan Roses [SEVENDUST] to whoever. So replacing that dude, it's like trying to replace Tom Brady [American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 23 seasons]. It's, like, man, who's gonna fill these shoes? And we had a couple of guys. We went through tons of auditions, and then finally we're, like, we need someone like a Mangini because even though people may not consider GODSMACK's music as technical or complicated as the DREAM THEATERs of the world and those kind of bands, it's complicated in the sense of it's very detailed. We had me and Shannon writing these drum parts, and we're two high-level drummers. And so these parts have very distinct places for everything. And you can't just come in and wing it, because it doesn't quite sound the same. And I knew Mike would come in and honor the music as the fans know it. And same thing with Sam, the guitar player. We found this guy — he was sent to us by Nuno [Bettencourt, EXTREME guitarist]. And I'm thinking, like, 'Okay, is he too much of a player?' But the dude came in and he really honored everything Tony played. He didn't try to make it his own and try to show off. He just came in and he played the music like the fans know it, and for that I really respect both of them."

Regarding how the new GODSMACK lineup is getting along on a personal level, Sully said: "First of all, you know Mangini. He's hilarious. I mean, he doesn't shut up for fucking three seconds, but he's hilarious. And just sometimes when you're really tired you're, like, 'Please, Mike, shut up. Just shut up. Just stop.' … And Sam's the exact opposite. Sam is like a quiet little mouse that just observes everything and gets his... He's very much like Tony in a sense of he's laid back, he's chill, he's super polite, he's a good guy. And he just watches the tornadoes spin around in the dressing room, and he's entertained by it. But when it comes to the stage, he's really, I feel, elevated the energy even more so on the front line. Because Tony was even kind of laid back on stage. Great player, but he wasn't a big showman. He was just kind of like a stand-there-and-jam guy. Sam brings a whole different kind of energy. It's not over the top. He's not Steve Vai and flipping his guitar around and all that stuff, but he's just got this rock and roll energy, and I really like it a lot, and it's even kicked Robbie in the ass to keep moving around and stay younger."

Murff joined GODSMACK this past spring and played more than a dozen shows with the group between May 8 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida and May 30 in Houston, Texas.

Image credit: Pics from the pit