Godsmack kicked off their 2025 touring in Sofia, Bulgaria over the weekend with two notable absences in their touring lineup and singer Sully Erna has addressed the “changes” that fans quickly noticed.
The band played a 15-song set at Arena 8888 in Sofia with many of the group’s biggest hits present, but the lineup that played the song was minus drummer Shannon Larkin and lead guitarist Tony Rombola. In their place was Will Hunt handling drums and Sam Bam Koltun on lead guitar.
What Sully Erna Said About Godsmack’s Two Absences
A day ahead of the Sofia concert, Godsmack frontman Sully Erna addressed the notable absences of Larkin and Rombola while speaking with Bulgaria’s Z Rock radio station. Speaking with host Elena Rozberg, Erna explained when asked about the lineup, “Well, such a tricky question to answer right now at this stage.”
He continued (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), “I can tell you that there has definitely been some changes that have happened in the last few months. 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.”
After detouring a bit to speak about playing to their biggest audiences ever, Erna circled back to the topic of the absences of Larkin and Rombola.
“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],” he stated. “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 pressed about why the two members weren’t there, Erna explained, “I don’t know if I feel safe enough talking about that yet, because I don’t wanna give people the wrong impression. 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.”
What Sully Erna Said About the Additions to Godsmack’s Current Touring Lineup
While respecting the privacy of the two absent band members, Erna was definitely forthcoming about who is currently filling in for them.
“I can tell you right now that we have a guest drummer playing with us, who’s Will from Evanescence. And he is such a good friend of ours and such a great musician, and we’ve been having so much fun with him. So that’s been a real surprise,” said Erna.
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“And then we have a guitar player with us named Sam Koltun, who is somebody who — he’s played with several different bands and a really, really nice guy and great guitar player,” added the singer. “So as far as the music goes and the sound, it sounds exactly like we’ve always sounded, which is even surprising to me.”
Some of Koltun’s credits include playing with Dorothy, Budderside, Faster Pussycat, Crossbone Skully, The Throbs and more.
Godsmack in 2025
At present, Godsmack are trekking through Europe as part of a world tour. The European run lasts 14 dates with the final show coming April 12 in Oberhausen, Germany. Drowning Pool and P.O.D. are providing support on the run.
All dates and ticketing information for Godsmack can be found through their website. At present, no dates are shown beyond their current European run.
2025 Rock + Metal Tour Guide
The bands that are touring in 2025, who is opening and how to get tickets.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
