'There Was No Hard Feelings' - Shannon Larkin Says Sully Erna 'Understood' Why He Left Godsmack

Back in 2025 – and following some ambiguity – Loudwire reported on drummer Shannon Larkin (and guitarist Tony Rombola) officially quitting Godsmack because they “didn't want to tour anymore.” The pair actually left the group in 2024, and during his recent YouTube livestream, Larkin reassured fans that “there was no hard feelings” because frontman Sully Erna “understood” why Larkin left Godsmack.

What Did Larkin Say About Sully Erna + Leaving Godsmack?

The three-hour livestream took place last Friday (May 1), and Larkin’s comments about Godsmack started around the 41-minute mark (as he’s discussing drama and lineup changes regarding bands such as Judas Priest and Pink Floyd).

“I’ve been in bands [for] a long time, [and] it’s like being married. So, sometimes it ends ugly, you know? That’s why with the Godsmack thing . . . I tell you people, it ended beautifully, and there was no hard feelings,” he began.

Larkin continued:

You know, Godsmack 2.0 is coming with Wade Murff on the drums and Sam Koltun on guitar. And it's gonna be badass, 'cause I know Sully Erna and he's a badass, and he'll make a badass record. And Godsmack will persevere – 2.0. – and no hard feelings on this side because it's all love. For those who don't know or may be watching me for the first time, the touring—I've been touring for 40 years, and I wanna again say to [Oasis lead guitarist/vocalist] Noel Gallagher: I'm not that dude that's sitting here whining about bitching about it. It was the greatest years of my life, the last 40 years in this music business. Touring my ass off. Make a record, tour, make a record, tour, make a record, tour. Boom! And then, you know, until it wasn't, and I was Forrest Gump.

He then explained why his longtime friendship with Erna helped make the separation easier:

And so I stopped, and it was okay. Sully understood, 'cause he knew me from the Wrathchild days, since 1986 [or ‘87], we met. That's for real. There was no cell phones or internet, people. We wrote our numbers down after having met one another and stayed in touch for 17 years before I joined Godsmack. So, we were friends way before that, and so now we're friends way beyond that. And that's important, I think, especially in the moving on.

I always try to put my foot in the other shoe, and I would've been – oh! – upset, too, at first. And there's a bitterness that you feel when your homeboys leave your band. But, you understand the reason, and it's not any of the usual reasons that break bands up, you know, which is sex [and] drugs. When I say “sex,” it's some dude in a band hits on the other guy's wife or worse. Shit like that happens and breaks bands up; we've seen it many times.

You can watch Larkin’s full livestream below:

Shannon Larkin Discusses Leaving Godsmack + More (May 1, 2026)

READ MORE: Former Godsmack Drummer Shannon Larkin Reveals First Gig Since Exiting Group

More About Larkin’s Departure From Godsmack

Larkin replaced founding drummer Tommy Stewart around 2002 and made his studio debut on Godsmack’s fourth LP, 2004’s Faceless. Naturally, he appeared on every subsequent record (including their most recent one, 2023’s Lighting Up the Sky, which was initially claimed to be their final album).

As alluded to earlier, Godsmack began their 2025 tour (in Sofia, Bulgaria) with Evanescence’s Will Hunt and Koltun filling in for Larkin and Rombola, respectively. At the time (late March 2025), Erna explained the touring lineup change as follows [via 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.

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. . . . 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.

About a week later, Godsmack issued a statement confirming that Larkin and Rombola have parted ways with the group:

After almost 3 incredible decades, two of our most cherished members, Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin, have decided to retire from the band permanently, on good terms, but for no other reason than to fulfill their desire to live a more simple and quiet life away from touring.

This decision was not made lightly. Tony and Shannon have been such a big part of our history, bringing their unique talents, creativity and passion that have shaped our music and our message. Together, we have experienced countless, unforgettable moments and heartfelt interactions with fans like you around the world. We are immensely grateful for every memory we've created together.

You can see Godsmack’s full statement below:

Around the same time, Larkin shared a now-deleted video on Facebook that – as transcribed by Blabbermouth – further clarified the duo’s departure:

Well, there's been lots of speculation about [why Tony and I are not on the road]. First of all, I just wanna thank everybody for the outpouring of texts, all my family and friends. I'm okay. Tony's okay. But we did quit the band last year, after lots of talking to Sully and Robbie [Merrill, bass]. And they understood that we didn't wanna tour anymore — that's the reason — and we understood that they wanted to tour. And so we understood each other. And in the end, Godsmack's out there touring and we are happily here living our lives.

Tony turned 60. I'm 58. Look, it's not a physical thing. We wanna be home with everything that we love. [It's been] 40 years — think of that; 40 years I've been touring. 28 years for Rombola. And we're getting a little older, so we decided to quit it. And that's it. But thanks. And we love you all, the fans and everything.

This wasn't a bad thing, and I know it looks like it, but I will talk more about it in the future. But it's all love. We're brothers for life with Sully and Robbie, and we wish Will and Sam the best. And all the fans, keep going [to the shows]. They're kicking fucking ass. As Sully said at the very end, all good things must come to an end. So Godsmack didn't come to an end — it's just a new chapter for them — and it's certainly a new chapter for Tony and I. And we're already making music, and everybody's happy. So be happy, people.

Other Sully Larkin + Godsmack News

While Larkin has been keeping a relatively private and lowkey life, Godsmack are still going full force in 2026.

Specifically, they’re joining Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy on the “Rise of Rock” world tour (which kicks off later this week and will span multiple countries through end of September). Among other destinations, they’ll be appearing at gigantic gatherings such as Welcome to Rockville, 93.3 WMMR MMRBQ, Sonic Temple Art & Music, Hills of Rock Festival, Reload Festival and Rocklahoma.

You can see all of Godsmack’s upcoming tour dates – and grab tickets – here.

If that weren’t enough, Godsmack issued their latest live set – Live at Mohegan Sun – earlier this month. Recording during the group’s sold-out October 2024 performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, it’s doubly worthwhile since it captures the final performance with the classic lineup (Erna, Larkin, Rombola and Merrill).

In promoting the release, the band stated:

This new live concert . . . is everything you could ever ask for as a fan of our music, our journey through our career, and our individual personalities. Words are simply not enough to translate to you how epic and important this show is. It’s exciting, it’s powerful, and it’s incredibly emotional being the last time you will ever see all 4 original members doing what we do best onstage together, in a sold out venue at Mohegan Sun Arena.  So soak it all in, even the bonus features.

You can grab your copy here.

How do you feel about Larkin’s reflections on his departure from Godsmack? Let us know!