SULLY ERNA Says GODSMACK Was Unfairly Lumped Into 'Nu Metal' Category

In a brand new interview with Jave Patterson of Reno's Rock 104.5 radio station, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna once again spoke about the band's seeming insistence on being called a "hard rock" act instead of being lumped under the "heavy metal" tag.

"Our biggest struggle over the years was we got lumped into that 'nu metal' category when we got signed, because the KORNs and the LIMP BIZKITs and all them were kind of blowing up," Sully said (see video below). "And we were never that, though. The first record is so many different influences, 'cause everyone was listening to different things — from NINE INCH NAILS to ALICE IN CHAINS to whatever. But we were just kind of a hard rock band — we never considered ourselves metal. And we rode the line at times. But we were never a metal band.

"To me, metal bands deserve the props for the SLIPKNOTs and the SLAYERs and whoever is truly metal," he continued. "And so we always struggled with that identity of trying to get people to understand that we're not really a metal band — we're a hard rock band. And so I think even as time has passed, we've tried to surround ourselves with more hard rock bands, so the genre feels more correct for us too — and not be out there with bands that we shouldn't be out there with, [like] LAMB OF GOD and whatever it is. Not anything against them — they're all great bands for what they do — but we're not that."

This past summer, Erna told Canada's iHeartRadio that GODSMACK is preparing to begin the songwriting process for the follow-up to last year's "When Legends Rise" album.

GODSMACK recently landed three No. 1 singles from "When Legends Rise". The group's latest track, "Under Your Scars", topped the rock radio chart in July, joining previous chart-toppers "Bulletproof" and the title cut. "Bulletproof" was also the most-played song at rock radio in 2018.

"When Legends Rise" was released in April 2018. The disc follows up 2014's "1000hp" and is GODSMACK's first release through BMG after splitting with its longtime home, Republic/Universal.

GODSMACK has spent more than a year on the road, both in North America and throughout Europe, in support of "When Legends Rise". They recently wrapped the European dates on their in-progress world tour and made a number of festival appearances leading straight into the fall shows, with HALESTORM supporting. The new dates wrap October 20 in Saint Charles, Missouri.