Former GODSMACK drummer SHANNON LARKIN has opened up about his departure from the band in full for the first time, appearing on a YouTube livestream on May 1, 2026. The conversation he described was defined by mutual respect and emotional honesty, not conflict.
"It ended beautifully, and there was no hard feelings," LARKIN said. "Sully understood, 'cause he knew me from the WRATHCHILD days." The reference points back decades — before either band achieved mainstream success, LARKIN and frontman SULLY ERNA had a deep personal history, which meant the conversation about his exit carried genuine emotional weight on both sides.
The reason was simple and inevitable: forty years on the road had run their course. "I've been touring for 40 years... the touring — it was the greatest years of my life... until it wasn't. And so I stopped." ERNA confirmed the amicable nature of the split, acknowledging some initial bitterness before reaching acceptance: "They gave me the best years in this band... there's no bad blood."
GODSMACK have moved forward purposefully. New drummer WADE MURFF and new guitarist SAM KOLTUN have joined the band, and the "Rise Of Rock" 2026 tour launches May 10 in Bristow, Virginia, with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and DOROTHY as support.
The band also released "Live At Mohegan Sun" on May 1 — a recording of the classic lineup's final performance from October 2024 in Connecticut, standing as a proper farewell document for the LARKIN era.