SULLY ERNA Says 'Everyone' In GODSMACK 'Feels Complete' About Focusing On'Greatest Hits' On Upcoming Tours

In early October, before the launch of GODSMACK's European tour in Cologne, Germany, the four members of the band were interviewed for an episode of "Elena Rosberg Presents: Personalities And Passions!" Guitarist/vocalist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin discussed their new music, their decision to make the upcoming album probably their last, their future plans, the causes they are passionate about and their achievements.

Speaking about why GODSMACK's next album, "Lighting Up The Sky", which is tentatively due in February, will probably mark the band's final full-length collection of all-new original material, Erna said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We felt that, as we started to work on this record, trying to figure out what this record was gonna be, what I was gonna write about lyrically, what the music was gonna sound like, as you go through that beginning process, we always have our — at least I have my freakout moment that I'm, like, 'I don't know what I'm gonna write about. I don't have any musical ideas.' And so the journey begins there. But as we started to develop it, we started to realize that a couple of things happened, which was the record really felt like it had closure by the time we finished it. And, really, this record became about one man's journey through life — the ups and downs, finding love, losing love, getting love back, realizing the things that are important in his life — which is the career, the band, things like that — all the way to the end, which is about if I could talk to myself as a younger version of me, what would I give myself as advice and would I have done it differently, or would I have needed to go that fast and that recklessly in order to get where we got. So that person's journey, really, was me and the guys, and the whole story of this record is about that journey. So by the time we got to the end of it and we realized that this chapter's kind of closed, along with having 27 Top 10 singles and 11 No. 1 songs, and we're gonna have, obviously, a few more singles on this record, we're gonna be at 30 Top 10 singles. We're there; we've arrived. And we had to recognize that because it's time for us now to do what's right for the fans and deliver the music that they have claimed to be our best songs over the years. They are the ones that chose the singles, really. We could suggest that we feel like this is the song, but they are the ones that made it successful. So, therefore, they wanna hear those songs every night. But there's not enough hours in the night to be able to play 30 songs. So when you go see your favorite band these days that have that kind of history, what do you wanna see? Do you wanna see a bunch of new stuff that you don't know yet or do you wanna hear the hits that you've learned and loved and became the soundtrack to your lives. And so for those reasons we felt like maybe this chapter is about to close on writing new music and the next chapter is gonna begin where we're gonna start touring on the greatest-hits show and delivering that kind of entertainment night after night."

According to Sully, all four members of GODSMACK are on the same page about making "Lighting Up The Sky" their final collection of new music. "Everyone feels complete," he said. "I don't think anyone is going into this concept of ending that part and beginning a new chapter and feels that it's wrong, that we're missing something. I think everybody feels pretty complete."

Shannon concurred, saying: "And that's the beauty. We're not breaking up. 'This is it. We're done. Give us all your money. This is the last time you're gonna see us.' It's not us. We're gonna tour hard on this record for sure, because we really believe in this record, and at the end of that, we'll take a little time off and we'll call each other and [say], 'When do you wanna go and play?'"

Added Sully: "It's not the end; it's a new beginning. So for the people out there that are starting to think that this is a negative thing, I promise you the one thing that I can guarantee you, and I have never said this in my life, this is the best work we've ever done on an album. And there's a lot — a lot — of really big songs on this record. So I think it's gonna keep people satisfied for a very long time. And I don't think they're gonna miss the part of whether or not we do new music. I think it's just gonna be a matter of how much they enjoy the new music."

In late September, GODSMACK released a brand new single, "Surrender", via BMG. The track marked the first release from the band in four years, following their globally acclaimed and gold-certified 2018 album "When Legends Rise", which earned the Erna-fronted outfit a No. 1 spot across U.S. Hard Rock, Rock, and Alternative album charts.

A little over a month ago, Erna told the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X that the second single from "Lighting Up The Sky" will arrive in February and will coincide with the release of the full-length album.

In September 2021, "When Legends Rise" was certified gold on by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies. In addition, two more of the LP's singles (the title track and "Under Your Scars") were also officially certified gold by the RIAA. The album's first single "Bulletproof" earned a platinum digital single award in September 2020 and was previously certified gold in the U.S.

"When Legends Rise" was the seventh studio album from GODSMACK. Produced by Erik Ron and Erna, it was the band's first release in four years and was recorded at their now-former headquarters (GSHQ) in Derry, New Hampshire. The album went on to garner a multitude of career milestones for the group: four No. 1 rock tracks (an accomplishment that makes GODSMACK one of only four rock acts to achieve this),and a record 11 No. 1 singles in the band's career with the album's fourth single, "Unforgettable". "When Legends Rise" entered the Billboard Top 200 album chart in the top ten (No. 8),with four No. 1 placements on other charts: Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Music Albums, Top Independent Albums and Top Alternative Albums.