SULLY ERNA Says 'When Legends Rise' Could Turn Out To Be GODSMACK's 'Biggest Record' Since Debut Album

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna was recently interviewed for "The Bangover" show on TotalRock Radio. You can now listen to the chat using the Mixcloud widget below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how GODSMACK's upcoming album, "When Legends Rise", compares to the band's previous efforts:

Sully: "Well, there's some pretty big differences. One is it's the first time I decided to branch out a little bit more and work with some other songwriters that I have been intrigued with working with for a while — taking the experiences that I've had from working on my solo record when I was writing with different musicians from different backgrounds and to see what they can contribute and how that contribution can help me think outside of the box. And it worked really well in my solo projects and I really got to explore and experiment with some unique and different sounds that I think I would have never been able to accomplish without having the contributions of these other backgrounds. And so I wanted to take that same kind of approach to GODSMACK and take what we do here as a formula and as a hard rock band and branch out and see what other people think we could sound like and some other styles of music that they could present to me to get me thinking outside the box again and coming up with some different and unique kind of melodies and ideas. And I really think that we were able to accomplish probably one of the most unique records since maybe the first record and rebirth this band."

On choosing Erik Ron to produce "When Legends Rise":

Sully: "Well, Erik was one of the first guys that I stepped into a room with, and it was just strictly to write with and to be able to say, 'Okay, let's try this with someone who's not in the band and someone who has a different perspective of us from an outside point of view.' And we got really lucky really quick and we came up with what is now the first single, 'Bulletproof'. And I liked the experience so much and I really loved the song so much that I went back a second time, just to see if lightning could struck twice or if it was just a fluke. And, surprisingly, we got another great song called 'Take It To The Edge' out of it. And that's when I started to notice his production abilities and how well, sonically, he was even making these demos sound. And that's when I was, like, 'You know what? I'm gonna give this young guy an opportunity to produce what we feel could possibly be our biggest record since our first record.' And we worked really well together. And he really is a young, talented kid that I think has a great future ahead of him."

On why "Bulletproof" was chosen as the lead single from "When Legends Rise":

Sully: "Well, it was really a very different approach — it was a lot more melodic than we had wrote in the past. And I wondered what the new record's gonna sound like. There's always that moment, when you're writing a new record, that one song surfaces that kind of sets the bar for everything else and where you're gonna go, theme-wise, on the new record. And that song, for me, kind of set the standard on it just being a very obvious, hooky kind of song. And it was one of those… you don't listen to this a lot to get it. Your first listen, you know exactly where the song stands. And love it or hate it, for us, it was about growth, it was about expansion and it was about trying not to write the same record over and over again. And that one kind of set the bar for where I was hoping to go with being a little bit more unique and also pertaining to a much broader audience — even a younger generation."

"When Legends Rise" will be released on April 27.

The new disc is GODSMACK's seventh studio effort and follows up to 2014's "1000hp". It's also the band's first release through BMG after splitting with its longtime home, Republic/Universal.

Erna said that the title of the album refers to "the band and our journey," adding, "It's been an amazing road we have traveled through all the ups and downs. But being able to conquer those challenging times with alcohol and egos and everything else that can tear a band apart is what we are the most proud of."

"When Legends Rise" was recorded at GODSMACK's headquarters (GSHQ) in Derry, New Hampshire and produced by Erik Ron and Erna.