Godsmack kicked off their 2025 European tour over the weekend—and sharp-eyed fans noticed something was off. Drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, frontman Sully Erna and bassist Robbie Merrill took the stage in Sofia, Bulgaria alongside fill-ins Will Hunt (Evanescence) on drums and Sam Bam Koltun (Dorothy) on guitar.
So, what’s the deal? According to Erna, even the band doesn’t fully know yet. In an interview with Z-Rock Radio, he confirmed there have been “some changes” in recent months, but stopped short of saying if they’re temporary or permanent.
“All I can tell you right now is the band is in good health, we’re in good spirits,” Erna said. “Tony and Shannon have some personal things going on… We’re trying to respect that and still come out here and put on a great show.”
Pressed further on why the two aren’t on tour, Erna dodged: “I don’t know if I feel safe enough talking about that yet.”
While I understand that that is vague, it’s the line for now. No drama. No health crisis. Just “personal things.”
In the meantime, Godsmack’s sound hasn’t missed a step. Erna said the guest players have slotted in seamlessly: “It sounds exactly like we’ve always sounded, which is even surprising to me.”
Still, it’s odd to see a band with such a stable, long-running lineup suddenly shift without much explanation. Especially when it’s two of it’s core members.
For now though, Godsmack are keeping it rolling. They’re playing to packed arenas and, according to Erna, hitting some of the biggest crowds of their career. Whether this version of the band is a short-term fix or something more permanent remains to be seen. But I wouldn’t be shocked if the lineup looks a little different for a while.
You can see some footage of the band performing without Larkin and Rombola below.
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