Godsmack have launched their 2025 European/UK tour despite being down a pair of longtime core band members.
The trek commenced Saturday night (March 22nd) in Sofia, Bulgaria, without drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola. Filling in were Will Hunt (Evanescence) and Sam Bam Koltun (Dorothy, Faster Pussycat), respectively.
It remains to be seen whether Larkin or Rombola will return at some point during or after the 14-date tour (pick up tickets here), or if their absence will be extended. Speaking on the matter in an interview with a Bulgarian radio station, Godsmack frontman Sully Erna said that both musicians were not on the tour due to “personal things.”
“I can tell you that there has definitely been some changes that have happened in the last few months,” said Erna when asked about the state of Godsmack a day before the tour kickoff [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]. “They are changes that we’re not sure will be permanent or temporary, but everybody and everyone is in good health and in really good spirits. And the band is doing better than ever.”
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He continued: “All I can tell you right now is that the band is in good health, we’re in good spirits, but there’s gonna be a little bit of a different visual for everybody [at the Sofia show]. Tony and Shannon have some personal things going on, and they’re not with us. So we have a couple of guest musicians playing with us that are phenomenal.”
When asked to elaborate, Erna he didn’t “feel safe enough talking about that yet.”
“I don’t wanna give people the wrong impression,” he said. “Right now we’re still at a stage where we’re trying to figure out exactly what’s happening, but we’re also trying to respect their privacy. So whatever Tony and Shannon have going on in their personal life, we’re just trying to respect that and at the same time still come here and put on a really great show.”
Larkin and Rombola have been fixtures in the band for decades now, with the former joining in 2002 while the latter took over lead guitar duties in 1996. Godsmask are currently touring in support of their latest album, 2023’s Lighting Up the Sky, which they’ve declared is their final LP.
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