The Grammy winning, multi-platinum selling band Godsmack has received accolades for their hard rock albums, intense live show and aggressive sound. Their album “Faceless” debuted on the Billboard Charts at #1 and still riding on that success, they released an acoustic album, “The Other Side.” The band, comprised of vocalist Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombolo, bassist Robbie Merrill and drummer Shannon Larkin have blended the heaviness of their sound with a more subtle, laid back approach, experimenting with different sounds and rhythms, and expanding on vocals. Molding their intensity with ethereal sounds, they created a stunning album which showcases the bands ability to create captivating music, but never drifting too far from their creative roots. And too top that off, they are currently on a sold-out tour with Metallica.

Godsmack did not plan to release another album right after “Faceless,” never mind an acoustic album. They had recognized that there were a couple songs in their repertoire, such as “Running Blind” and “Voices,” that they would play acoustically and that they then saw a different potential in. It was when their tour ended in Japan on the first leg of the “Faceless” tour that they realized they could use a little vacation. And a vacation, to Godsmack, is working on a new album. “We were like, you know what we should do…since Hawaii’s halfway back to Los Angeles, we should stop in Hawaii and get our families and fly our girlfriends out there, and just take a couple weeks off before the next tour and have a little vacation,” said drummer Larkin. “We thought we could have the record label pay for this vacation, and all we have to do is record an album while we’re there. It’ll still be a vacation, we’re in Hawaii, and it’s an acoustic record, so there’s not a lot of pressure. The intent wasn’t to come out with our new record and sell millions of copies. But we got the label to go for it. They heard a couple songs and were like, ‘Yeah we’ll do this.’ So basically we got a paid vacation in Hawaii. That’s a good deal in itself. I’ll tell you, it’s the most stress free record I’ve ever done.”

With a perfect view of the beach, they put together an eloquent album featuring seven songs, some new and some re-makes, bringing the band to a new level. It showed the true nature of their songs demonstrating the capability of the band to step back from their usual sound and play simplistically and at the heart of the songs. Most hear Godsmack and think that they are only a hard-rock band, but this album demonstrates the true musicianship that each member possesses, and the intensity in their songs that can shine through whether played with an electric or acoustic guitar.

Though a different turn for the band, it wasn’t so severe that fans would not embrace this sound. Instead it was just a new and different outlook on Godsmack’s music. “We’re lucky as a band to not have a ceiling over our heads, because of songs like ‘Voodoo’, ‘Spiral’, and ‘Serenity’. It’s already been out there. Putting out ‘The Other Side’ wasn’t this big, drastic step for us. We’re not gonna do anything crazy on the next record. It’s gonna be a heavy, hard rock, Godsmack record, and there might be a ‘Serenity’ or ‘Voodoo’ on it probably, but for the most part, it will be along the lines of something heavier like ‘Faceless.’”

There are several highlights on both “The Other Side” and “Faceless,” but it is Godsmack’s signature sound that Larkin finds himself drawn to the most: “On the ‘Faceless’ record, the song ‘Changes’ is my favorite Godsmack song. I think it’s the anatomy of what we’re trying to do. It’s got the hard groove first. It’s got a nice big melodic half time chorus. I think it’s the perfect Godsmack song and I was bummed out when it wasn’t gonna be a single. But it is what it is and I’m most proud of that album.”

Godsmack has accomplished a great deal in the past couple years, building themselves up as a strong and competent band, and that in itself is a feat with the ever-changing musical climate. In an age where music groups come and go, more and more teen pop princesses emerge, and vocalists are found on TV shows, it is hard to tell what state the music industry is in.

“Trends happen, you’ve got hair metal and hair bands which were killed by grunge which was killed by new metal or rap rock, and I’m not really sure what’s next,” noted Larkin. “It’s hard to say what the next thing is gonna be. For a while, the Hives and the Strokes, that was gonna be the next big thing, and of course it didn’t happen that way. We always say, we’re not the biggest groundbreaking band on the planet. We do good hard rock, what our idols did before us. Experimenting with different sounds and stuff…everything, I think, has been done before. And we’re not trying to change what we do by being some groundbreaking new act.”

Not only is music being molded by television shows, but contemporary issues also have an impact. Many bands now are finding themselves more and more involved in politics, getting involved in things like “Rock The Vote” and even letting their music take a political angle. Larkin says however, that Godsmack is not a political band, and keeps their outlook on what it should be—music. “We’re that American band that only sells records in America. We back our armed forces. We let the Navy use our music. I think I’m the only guy in the band that even votes,” he laughs. “None of us are very politically outspoken, but

we’re very pro-America and we back our country.” Larkin believes it is the live show that keeps fans attention, and that they do not need to try to take over the airwaves or MTV, but instead bring their music to the people who appreciate it most. “We’re very happy with just trying to make solid songs, and our main thing is to take the show on the road and put on a big show like they used to do, with pyrotechnics and giant drum sets, trying to make it to where it was when we were kids. We’d look forward to that thing for weeks, talk and talk with your friends, and then for weeks after you just can’t stop talking about the show,” he said. It is this attitude that has propelled the band and keeps fans coming back. There are 35 people on this road crew working for that hour that the band is on stage. They put their all into their music and their performance, and each night, fans leave knowing that they have seen a unique show.

It is this appreciation for the live show and touring that has now placed them on the same stage as Metallica, a band they have idolized since they were kids. “In 1982, I got a hold of their demo and that totally changed my life,” Larkin said as he reminisced about his first tastes in music. “I’d never heard anything that aggressive before, and being a testosterone-filled pumped up adolescent boy growing up in West Virginia, I heard Metallica and the shit was over. I said, ‘I’m not gonna do anything else until I make it in this fucking business.’ It’s been a long journey.”

Upon hearing that first demo, touring with Metallica is probably something that the adolescent Larkin would never have imagined. “It’s just a dream come true,” he said as he reflected on their time on tour. “We were a little bit scared at first. The first time I met Jim Hetfield I could barely speak. I couldn’t believe I was standing right in front of him. But they are really nice guys, just normal cool guys. They’d come and talk to us and hang out. It’s like a dream. I’m blown away by the whole thing.”

With two highly successful albums and an astonishing touring schedule with Metallica, Godsmack still has a lot on their plate. After touring consistently for a year and a half, their tour wraps up on November 25, and following that they will begin working on a new record, and Larkin says they are very excited to get back into the creative mode. “We are doing some writing out here on tour but it’s hard to put yourself in that place, the writing mode, when you’re in touring mode. It’s just two separate entities,” he said. In addition, the band just released a DVD entitled “Changes.” Not only does the DVD capture the band’s live performance but it also features footage of the preparation for the show—the equipment, pyrotechnics and backstage happenings. It shows how the whole show is put together, from setting the stage up, to the performance, to taking it down. It captures the essence of Godsmack and their music, and would be a great addition to any fan’s collection.

Godsmack is a band known for their hard-rock sound, and even though they turned that around with “The Other Side,” that only goes to demonstrate the vast capabilities of this band. Their live show is stunning, and no matter what the atmosphere or circumstances, they will always put their all into the performance. They are that band whose fans will anticipate the show for weeks before, and after seeing them, will rave about it for weeks after. They are the type of band they admired as kids, and in a music industry that sometimes strays from the music, it is refreshing to know there is a band out there that lives for it.