70000 Tons of Metal has announced the first 14 acts confirmed for its 2027 edition, sailing from Miami, Florida to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas from January 14–18, 2027. The first confirmed lineup includes Æther Realm, Arch Enemy, Brainstorm, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Enforcer, Evergrey, Equilibrium, Melechesh, Moonspell, Mors Principium Est, Obscura, Thulcandra, Uli Jon Roth and Warbringer, with 46 more acts to be announced.
A featured highlight of the cruise will be two sets from guitar legend and Scorpions alumnus Uli Jon Roth, both honoring 1975 Scorpions albums celebrating their 50th anniversary. Andy Piller, CEO, founder and “Skipper” of the cruise, said: “As part of his two sets on 70000 Tons of Metal, Uli will be paying tribute to two iconic Scorpions albums, both celebrating their 50th anniversary. In his first set, Uli will perform Virgin Killer in its entirety. In his second performance, he’ll heavily focus on In Trance. We’re delighted he’s joining the party next year!”
Roth is widely credited as a founding architect of neoclassical metal, having revolutionized rock guitar by fusing blues-based technique with intricate European classical influences during his time with Scorpions from 1973 to 1978. He subsequently founded the Sky Academy, which offers immersive masterclass seminars focused on unlocking musicians’ full creative potential.
Additional bands will be announced in the coming weeks, with an additional lineup announcement happening soon.
Royal Caribbean’s luxury cruise ship Freedom of the Seas offers round-the-clock entertainment, artist-hosted activities and events, exclusive meet-and-greets, and the unique opportunity for fans to mingle with their metal heroes in a completely immersive environment.
The festival-at-sea continues its tradition of delivering an unforgettable experience with 60 Metal bands from around the globe, playing across four stages – including the legendary Pool Deck Stage, the World’s Biggest Open Air Stage Structure to Ever Sail the Open Seas.
Only 3000 tickets are available to metalheads from around the globe, continuing the festival’s legacy of cultivating a tight-knit, global metal community, the “United Nations of Heavy Metal at Sea”. Fans are encouraged to book early to secure their place on this epic voyage on the High Seas.
Visit here and follow the 70000 Tons social media channels for more upcoming news about 70000 Tons of Metal 2027, featuring a lineup of top metal bands and exclusive performances and events.
Amon Amarth have announced their 13th studio album, The Allfather Awakens, due October 2 via Metal Blade Records. The announcement is accompanied by the album’s opening track and lead single, “Gjallarhorn.” The record follows the band’s first-ever acoustic excursion, the EP Upphaf, and was made using a new song-by-song writing and recording process developed across two studio sessions.
Where the stripped-back “Upphaf” carried the solemnity of an oral history whispered under the shadow of the Allfather, “Gjallarhorn” arrives as a furious Amon Amarth classic. “Gjallarhorn’s” driving, upbeat guitar riff and high-tempo, catchy chorus fuse with a few surprises that ensure itself to be a future live staple.
To gain wisdom beyond mortal comprehension, Oden made the ultimate sacrifice – gouging out his own eye and casting it into the Well of Wisdom, Mímisbrunnr, in exchange for cosmic insight and foresight that would shape the fate of gods and men alike. Now, Amon Amarth bring that ancient reckoning to life with “Gjallarhorn” – and they are extending Oden’s offer to you. Those who received the eye know what must be done. Those who did not: seek it out. Sacrifice your sight. Gain your foresight.
The album came to life across two sessions at producer Jacob Hansen’s studio in Denmark: the first in spring 2025, with recording completed in March 2026. For the first time, Amon Amarth began writing songs while on tour rather than waiting until they were off the road. Sonically, the band moved away from 5150 amplifiers and back to Marshalls. Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen described the approach: “We worked on one song at a time and made each song as good as possible. Then we recorded one song at a time until each track was totally finished — drums, guitars, and vocals. Only then did we start on the next one.”
The album’s cover art is a portrait of Oden by Tom Thiel, who has now created seven of the quintet’s album covers. This autumn, The Allfather Awakens will be accompanied by an entirely new live production inspired by Oden’s legendary Golden Hall, transforming the band’s concert experience into a living extension of the record.
Amon Amarth were formed in Tumba, Sweden in 1992. Over three decades, the band has toured alongside Slayer, Iron Maiden, Slipknot and Pantera, and headlined landmark shows at Los Angeles’s The Forum, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Germany’s Wacken Open Air — where they played to 85,000 in 2024. Amon Amarth has headlined the U.K.’s Bloodstock Open Air twice and appeared at Download four times (2008–2019) and at Summer Breeze eight times (2003–2024), six of them as headliner. Their current North American tour runs with Dethklok and Castle Rat.
Among the cultural phenomena associated with the band is “The Row” — a synchronized rowing motion first performed by audience members at their 2009 Bloodstock set, in which fans get on the ground and imitate rowing an invisible longship in unison. The band formally acknowledged the tradition with the 2022 single “Put Your Back Into The Oar.” The phenomenon has since spread to other concerts and events, including audiences at the 2026 World Cup. Amon Amarth is: Johan Hegg (vocals), Olavi Mikkonen (guitar), Johan Söderberg (guitar), Ted Lundström (bass) and Jocke Wallgren (drums).
New York hardcore mainstays Agnostic Front have put out the official video for “Divided,” off their latest record, Echoes In Eternity, out in 2025 through Reigning Phoenix Music. The release lines up with the band gearing up for a full summer run across Europe — the second leg kicks off in Töging Am Inn, Germany, on July 25.
Vocalist Roger Miret laid out what the song is getting at: “‘Divided’ confronts the rise of extremist ideology and the willingness to follow false promises even when the human cost is obvious. At its core, it’s a call to recognize our shared humanity before we’re pushed so far apart that we can no longer find our way back together.”
The record opens hard. “Way Of War” comes out swinging with driving rhythms and aggressive chants aimed at the injustice and damage conflict leaves behind. “You Say” keeps things short and sharp, going after dishonesty head-on. “Matter Of Life & Death” brings punchy riffs and hooks that stick. “Tears For Everyone” runs at full speed, driven by a heavy, relentless power.
“Divided” itself takes aim at fascism, pushing back against the widening gap between love and hatred. “Sunday Matinee” shifts gears into something upbeat and catchy, built around the connection between the band and its crowd live. “I Can’t Win” works through self-doubt and darkness before pulling itself into the light. “Turn Up The Volume” takes on tyranny directly, another riff-driven cut in the band’s arsenal.
“Art Of Silence” packs marching drums and high-speed aggression into under a minute. “Shots Fired” keeps the percussion dominant with a dark, discordant edge. “Hell To Pay” delivers a destructive barrage, while “Evolution Of Madness” digs into chaos without mercy. “Skip The Trial” leans on rumbling bass to push its sinister tone. “Obey” runs on abrasive, turbulent guitar work, and “Open My Eyes” closes out Echoes In Eternity with a deafening finish.
Miret spoke on the album as a whole: “We have always taken risks, never followed the pack and are really proud of how the album turned out. The songs feel fresh, and the lyrics are current and personal. It’s an attestation to our longevity, dedication, and leading the forefront in our genre. What we do in life now echoes in eternity, and it shows! The songs viciously hit hard and the sound is HUGE compliment of our producer Mike Dijan and an electrifying mix by Zeuss at Planet Z!! You will enjoy cranking the volume up on this beast!”
Back in September 2021, Miret announced his cancer was in remission. He’d been diagnosed in early 2021, and after a stretch of tests and diagnoses, he went through a complicated initial surgery and a long hospital stay. Despite the complications, the outcome ended up being a strongly positive one.
Miret was born in Cuba and fled with his family to the U.S. to escape the Castro regime. He joined Agnostic Front in 1983, and the band went on to release genre staples like “United Blood,” “Victim In Pain”, and “Cause For Alarm” in the years that followed.
In 2017, Miret released a memoir, “My Riot: Agnostic Front, Grit, Guts, And Glory,” covering his path adjusting to life in the U.S. after leaving Cuba. According to the Phoenix New Times, the book covers a lot of ground — his childhood poverty, time as a teenage squatter, his deep involvement in downtown New York’s hardcore scene, and a period running drugs to help support his family.
Outside of Agnostic Front, Miret also fronts Roger Miret And The Disasters and plays with The Alligators. These days, he calls Scottsdale, Arizona home.
Judas Priest‘s classic Sad Wings Of Destiny is getting a new 50th-anniversary edition, with Exciter Records announcing Sad Wings Of Destiny (Original 1976 Masters). The restored archival release will make its CD debut exclusively at merchandise stands during Judas Priest‘s Faithkeepers European tour in summer 2026.
To mark the milestone, the label returned to the original 1976 analog stereo master tapes, restoring the album’s original mixes while maintaining the sound, dynamics, and character that made Sad Wings Of Destiny one of the defining records in heavy metal.
The restoration began at British Grove Studios in London, where the original analogue master tapes were preserved and transferred in high resolution under the supervision of Tom Allom and Luie Stylianou. Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Matt Colton later completed the mastering work at Metropolis Studios in London, with the goal of remaining faithful to the original recordings.
One notable feature of the anniversary edition is the restoration of the band’s intended track sequence. The album now opens with “Prelude”, allowing listeners to hear Sad Wings Of Destiny as it was originally planned in 1976.
Explaining the project, Exciter Records founder Michael Closter said: “There have been numerous releases and reissues over the decades by different companies in different territories. When Exciter Records acquired the original analogue master tapes, we were presented with a rare opportunity to return directly to the source. By carefully restoring the tapes, preserving them digitally for future generations, and creating a new master from those original recordings, we believe we have created the most faithful presentation of the original Sad Wings Of Destiny.”
The tour-exclusive CD serves as the first release in Exciter Records‘ broader campaign celebrating the album’s 50th anniversary. According to the label, additional archival projects and commemorative releases are planned throughout the campaign, further exploring the legacy of one of heavy metal’s most influential albums.
Sad Wings Of Destiny(1976-2026) is available here.
Hatebreed have announced their long-awaited return with a new studio album, Fatal Paradox, due out on November 6 through BLKIIBLK, the heavy music imprint of Frontiers Label Group. It will be the Grammy-nominated Connecticut band’s first full-length in six years.
Leading the campaign is the new single “Kill Count Increase”, produced by longtime Hatebreed collaborator Chris “Zeuss” Harris (Rob Zombie, Accept, Shadows Fall). The track leans into the band’s crossover influences with fast-paced riffing, crushing grooves, and Jamey Jasta‘s unmistakable vocal delivery.
Speaking about the song, Jasta said: “‘Kill Count Increase’ is the lead track on Fatal Paradox and a perfect way of summing up our first album in six years from the start. It’s straightforward, in-your-face Hatebreed. Fast. Hard. It gets down to business and comes up for air two-and-a-half minutes later. The room and everyone in it gets wrecked and comes back wanting more.”
According to the band, Fatal Paradox delivers everything fans expect from Hatebreed, blending breakdown-heavy hardcore with d-beats and thrash influences. Alongside “Kill Count Increase”, tracks including “Total Invincible”, “The Carrion Choir”, and “Truth Is A Lion” continue that aggressive approach.
Jasta previously commented on the band’s move to their new label, saying: “BLKIIBLK put together a dream team to get behind the new Hatebreed record and we couldn’t be happier — new label, new horizons, crushing new songs. We are beyond grateful and can’t wait to unleash these tracks on the world!”
Drummer Matt Byrne also shared his excitement for the months ahead: “2026 is the year of Hatebreed. This juggernaut as we know it is picking up the pace rapidly and is taking no prisoners. As if 2025 wasn’t enough of a truly busy and successful year, this summer sees multiple European festivals/headline tours for the band, two separate U.S. legs of the ‘Summer Slaughter’ tour, and a powerhouse of a new record dropping this fall on an awesome new label BLKIIBLK!!! We can’t wait to see everyone on the road!”
Jasta also reflected on reuniting with producer Zeuss: “One of my favorite things about making this record was working with our brother-in-arms Zeuss once again. His connection with Matt, Wayne, Frank, Carl, and me goes far beyond the producer’s chair. I’ve known him since the Pushbutton Warfare and Jasta 14 days. He’s been like a sixth member of this band for years. When you’re chasing something timeless, memorable, and meaningful, having that level of trust and understanding makes all the difference. We would high five, scream, pace, and celebrate every time we elevated the song or hit on something killer. From ‘I Will Be Heard’ to ‘Destroy Everything’, ‘Looking Down The Barrel’ to now, ‘Decisions Become Destinies’! We got another one, Zeussky!”
BLKIIBLK label head and Frontiers global head of A&R Mike Gitter welcomed the signing, stating: “BlLKIIBLK Records is proud to announce the signing of Hatebreed. Not only are they a name carved into the heavy music landscape, but they are as vital and relevant a force as ever. Perhaps even more so. We are excited to work with Jamey, who continues to bring new energy to everything he touches. Jasta and Hatebreed aren’t merely about perseverance — they’re about bringing the sound of the extreme to a new level. We’re honored to be working together.”
In support of the new album, Hatebreed will headline the second leg of the 2026 Summer Slaughter Tour, which begins on August 20 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The run will feature support from Terror, Incantation, Gates To Hell, Torture, and Creeping Death.
The first leg of the 2026 Summer Slaughter Tour began on July 2 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and concludes on July 24 in Buffalo, New York. That stretch features Devourment, Incantation (on the final five dates), Snuffed On Sight, Balmora, and Face Yourself as support.
Misery Index have returned with their first new music in four years, unveiling the new single “Feral Future” alongside an official lyric video. The track also marks the band’s return to Season Of Mist and arrives ahead of their An Epitaph for Endtimes European headlining tour in summer 2026.
Musically, “Feral Future” delivers the aggressive blend of death metal and grindcore that Misery Index is known for. Guitarists Mark Kloeppel and Darin Morris lock into a groove-driven attack, while drummer Adam Jarvis drives the song with relentless intensity. Lyrically, the track focuses on humanity’s relationship with the natural world, ending with the defiant refrain “this is our future.”
Explaining the song’s message, vocalist and bassist Jason Netherton said: “‘Feral Future’ is about changing the way we think about our relationship with nature. Nature isn’t something we rule over or exist outside of. It’s something we are immersed in everywhere all the time. This song champions the rewilding of damaged and corrupted human spaces and reclaims a more feral connection that respects the sublime wonder of nature.”
According to the band, “Feral Future” was among the first songs written for Misery Index‘s upcoming eighth studio album, with its direction helping establish the overall themes of the record.
The single was mixed by Ricardo Borges and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios. Artwork was created by Samuele Puligheddu, photography was handled by RyanPhillips, and the lyric video was produced by Cloud Motion Design.
For the past 25 years, Misery Index have built a reputation through a combination of uncompromising death metal, grindcore, and socially conscious lyrics. Featuring current and former members of Pig Destroyer and Dying Fetus, the Baltimore outfit has released seven full-length albums, toured across 46 countries, and played more than 1,500 shows alongside bands including Morbid Angel, Amon Amarth, Fear Factory, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Deicide, and many more.
During their previous run with Season Of Mist, Misery Index released the live album Live In Munich in 2013, followed by The Killing Gods in 2014 and Rituals Of Power in 2019. Both The Killing Gods and Rituals Of Power are currently available through the label’s web store.
Meshuggah members Tomas Haake and Mårten Hagström are set to appear at San Diego Comic-Con, where they will meet fans during a signing session at the Reigning Phoenix Music/Stern Pinball booth (#4029) on Friday, July 24, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
The event also marks the launch of a limited-edition Meshuggah x Hasbro Transformers T-shirt, created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie and the 30th anniversary of Meshuggah’s landmark album Destroy Erase Improve.
The design is inspired by Megatron’s transformation in the 1986 animated film. After being defeated by Optimus Prime, Megatron is betrayed by Starscream and left drifting in space before Unicron rebuilds him as Galvatron, reflecting the concept behind the title Destroy Erase Improve.
Commenting on the collaboration, Mårten Hagström said: “Big machinery. Massive destruction. Reconfiguration. A pretty accurate analogy to our sound, is it not?”
The artwork combines the destructive and transformative themes of the Transformers universe with the mechanical precision and evolving sound that have defined Meshuggah for decades. The illustration was created by veteran Transformers and G.I. Joe artist Ken Christiansen, whose work for Hasbro and Activision has included Generations toy packaging, Covenant Of Primus artwork, Transformers video game concept art, and IDW comic book covers.
Speaking about the project, Christiansen said: “Two of my favorite things are ‘Transformers’ and metal music, when the chance came up to combine the two, how could I pass that up? And to do it for a killer band like Meshuggah, can’t get much better.”
Reigning PhoenixMusic will also mark the anniversary by offering San Diego Comic-Con-exclusive splatter vinyl editions of the newly remastered Destroy Erase Improve and Catch Thirtythree.
Fans attending the signing will have the chance to meet Tomas Haake and Mårten Hagström while checking out the exclusive merchandise and limited vinyl releases. Both the collaborative T-shirt and the exclusive vinyl variants will be available only while supplies last.
Formed in Umeå, Sweden, in 1987, Meshuggah have spent nearly four decades expanding the possibilities of extreme metal. Their combination of complex polyrhythms, heavily down-tuned guitars, dissonant textures, and precise musicianship has influenced countless bands across the modern metal landscape.
From their early technical thrash recordings through albums such as Destroy Erase Improve, Chaosphere, Nothing, Catch Thirtythree, ObZen, and later releases, Meshuggah have consistently developed their sound on their own terms. Their approach helped shape the rhythmic style later associated with djent while maintaining an identity that remains uniquely their own.
Rather than following trends, Meshuggah created a musical language built on mechanical precision, crushing heaviness, and relentless experimentation. Combined with their reputation for powerful live performances, the Swedish veterans continue to rank among the most respected and influential names in heavy music.
Following last week’s single release, Marilyn Manson has unveiled the official music video for “Front Toward Enemy”, directed by Henri Alexander Levy. The track is the latest offering from his forthcoming album, One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2, due August 14th via Nuclear Blast Records.
Building on the release of the album’s lead single, “Exit Wound,” “Front Toward Enemy” continues the dark, cinematic vision of One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2, the highly anticipated second installment in Manson‘s latest sinister sonic odyssey, co-written and co-produced with Tyler Bates.
One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2 will arrive days before the start of his late summer co-headline tour with Rob Zombie. Visit here for a complete list of Manson‘s 2026 worldwide tour dates.
In addition to standard formats, One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2 is available as the “Claymore Edition” vinyl, a deluxe collector’s variant limited to just 1,800 copies worldwide and available exclusively through the Nuclear Blast Merch Store.
One Assassination Under God – Chapter 2 is available now for pre-order in a variety of formats, including a limited box set and accompanying apparel.
Trivium are gearing up for a new chapter, announcing a North American headlining tour for fall 2026 while confirming that fresh music is on the way. The band has also revealed plans to introduce new songs during the upcoming run, giving fans an early taste of what’s next.
The tour begins on November 5 in St. Petersburg, Florida, and wraps up on December 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Joining Trivium on the road will be In Flames, Orbit Culture, Fit For An Autopsy, and Frozen Soul, making for a lineup packed with established names and rising heavy hitters. Pre-sale begins at 12 pm ET today (July 21). Use code CROWNhere to secure your tickets early.
The band’s latest full-length, In The Court Of The Dragon, arrived in 2021 and earned widespread praise across both mainstream and metal-focused publications. Before that, Trivium made a major impact with 2005’s Ascendancy, which earned Kerrang!‘s “Album Of The Year”, received a gold certification in the U.K., and surpassed 500,000 copies sold worldwide. Metal Hammer also included the record in the Top 15 of “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of The 21st Century”.
That momentum carried into a run of six consecutive Top 25 entries on the Billboard 200 and five straight Top 3 placements on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, reaching a high point with 2017’s The Sin And The Sentence. The album pushed the band’s total streaming numbers beyond 250 million, while the track “Betrayer” earned a Grammy nomination in the “Best Metal Performance” category.
Critical praise continued throughout that period, with Metal Hammer describing the group as “quite simply one of the best bands in modern metal.”
In 2020, Trivium released What The Dead Men Say, produced by the band alongside JoshWilbur. The record debuted at No. 35 on the Billboard 200, reached No. 2 on the Top Current Albums chart, and landed at No. 3 on both the Hard Rock Albums and Top Rock Albums charts.
Over the years, Trivium have shared stages with Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and many other major acts, while also appearing on the main stages at Download, Bloodstock, Knotfest, and other leading festivals. The band also released the Struck Dead EP in fall 2025.
With new material ready to hit the stage and a tour featuring one of the strongest support bills of the year, Trivium looks set to close out 2026 with plenty of momentum.
Godsmack frontman Sully Erna has offered his most candid account yet of navigating the band’s lineup upheaval in a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece. Erna addressed the late 2024 departures of drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola — both of whom quit to stop touring — the circumstances surrounding Wade Murff’s brief tenure as drummer, and Mike Mangini’s no-rehearsal live debut with the group. Erna also pushed back against critics who argue that Mangini, a former member of Dream Theater, is “overqualified” for the Godsmack gig.
Erna said (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Well, actually, that’s a good question, because, first of all, to answer in short, right now it feels great because we have the right people that we replaced Tony and Shannon with. They’re great players, they’re great people. They’re good human beings, but they’re very qualified, and they make it all feel very natural for me and Robbie.”
“When you’re used to playing with two other people that you’ve been with for 30 years, that’s hard to replace sometimes, ‘cause there’s a natural chemistry that happens that you can’t just acquire quickly. When you play with three other guys for 30 years, you just develop a natural chemistry. So to replace that was not easy to do. But we got very lucky and we found two people that are doing a great job. It’s taken a lot of work and some patience, but we’re in a really good place right now and I think, for once, I’m feeling that Godsmack has a second life and that we’ll be able to continue for as long as we want to,” he added.
“Now, that being said, is it the same feeling as [it was with] Tony and Shannon? No, it will never be that. You can’t replace that part of it. There’s an emotional attachment to people that you consider brothers than there is to the new guys. But the new guys are also great, and we have a different relationship that we’re building with them. So it’s not the same, but it doesn’t mean that it’s bad.”
Asked how late Rush drummer Neil Peart’s quote that “nothing great lasts forever” came into play as he navigated the lineup changes, Erna said: “Well, that got me through, I think, how to navigate and tackle this new chapter. Because when I heard Neil say that, I’m, like, ‘You know, he’s right.’ There’s no way around it. That’s how life is designed, that nothing great lasts forever, at least not while we’re in a human form on Earth. We’re not designed that way. There’s a beginning, and there’s an end.
“And so I had to accept that at that point and realize as much as I wanted the original members to be together forever… And I even felt betrayed at one point. I felt like I spent my whole life building this band and giving other people an opportunity to accomplish their own dreams, and then they left me. So there’s a sense of abandonment there, and there’s a sense of betrayal.
“But I really sat down with it, and I’m, like, ‘No. No one abandoned anyone and no one betrayed anyone.’ They gave me almost 30 years of amazing memories and good times, and they put in their work. They just got to a point where they wanted to be home with their family and their houses, and they didn’t wanna tour at this level anymore. And I have to honor that and respect it and find my peace and understanding with that.
“So when Neil had said to me — and Shannon, by the way, when we met him — and we were asking him if he’s ever gonna play drums again, and he’s, like, ‘I don’t think so.’ And we’re, like, ‘Really? You’re not even gonna have a drum set in your house just to play for fun?’ And he said, ‘I don’t think so. I think I’ve done everything I can do on the drums.’ And we’re, like, ‘You sure have.’
“And then he just said, ‘Yeah, as far as being with the band, I love these guys, but life moves on, and there’s other things that we wanna do, and nothing great lasts forever.’ And that helped me a lot, understanding that as great as I felt Godsmack has been for what we are, I was faced with that same decision: here we go. And now is it time to just retire with Tony and Shannon, or do we try to keep going a little bit? And that all depended on who was gonna play and replace them.”
Mangini made his live debut with Godsmack on June 12 at the Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, Missouri, following the abrupt departure of Wade Murff. Murff had joined Godsmack in early May as Larkin’s replacement and played more than a dozen shows before his final gig on May 30 in Houston, Texas — just hours before which he had posted to social media suggesting he was looking forward to the band’s upcoming Kansas City date. On June 6, it was announced that Murff would fill in for Black Veil Brides drummer Christian “CC” Coma for the remainder of that band’s 2026 European tour, playing his first show with Black Veil Brides on June 10 in Munich, Germany.
Asked whether he felt apprehensive about putting Mangini onstage with no prior rehearsal, Erna said: “Very little. Very little, because I’ve known Mike for 30 years. I knew him back in the ’90s when he was taking over for Extreme. And I knew his level of play. And I knew his level of experience. And I would have never put that kind of responsibility in his hands to just send him a live show… ‘Cause we put out that double live album recently. And I just sent that to him, and I said, ‘Just learn this, the live version of every song.’
“I would have never put that responsibility on him if I didn’t know he was capable of coming in and playing it pretty damn close, and that’s exactly what he did. Was it perfect? No. But rock and roll is not supposed to be perfect. So he came in and did a phenomenal job on the first show. No rehearsal, we just did a long soundcheck, and I’m, like, ‘He knows. He’s got this. Nothing is gonna be a train wreck.’ And he came in, and he surprised everyone. But, of course, I had confidence in him, because it’s Mike Mangini, and he’s just very qualified to do this job.”
After Fragos noted that some progressive metal fans have claimed Mangini is “overqualified” for the Godsmack gig, Erna said: “It’s true. By people saying… And by the way, those people are a very small audience, and those people are mostly fans of Dream Theater and Mike Portnoy.
“And poor Mike [Mangini] was in Dream Theater for 13 years, just trying to do his job and learn some very complicated music that Mike Portnoy chose to leave the band himself. So Mike Mangini just came into that position, was hired, and he caught a lot of sh*t for it. He had a lot of Mike Portnoy fans that didn’t wanna accept Mangini. But by saying that Mike is overqualified to play for Godsmack is just like saying that Shannon’s overqualified to play for Godsmack, ‘cause I don’t think people realize the depth of detail that’s involved in Godsmack’s music as a drummer.”
Erna added: “I’m a drummer. I’ve been a drummer my whole life. Shannon’s an amazing drummer, and we both spent a lot of years and a lot of time designing those drum parts. And although they may not be as complicated as Dream Theater, they’re very detailed, and that calls for someone like Mike Mangini to fill that spot.”
He continued: “Listen, I’ve always said the most complicated kind of music sounds very simple. People may say, like, ‘Oh, AC/DC, that’s not hard to play.’ It really is. And you know why it is? Because it’s very detailed and it’s very steady. It’s very hard to play in a pocket like that and deliver it in a way that makes it sound easy.
“Yeah, maybe there’s not seven different time signatures happening and very complicated drum fills, but Godsmack’s stuff is complicated because it’s designed to sound easy, but when you actually dive into learning the parts, they’re fairly challenging. It’s not Rush, but it’s not AC/DC either.”
On whether the new lineup presents an opportunity to reinvent Godsmack’s creative direction, Erna said: “I think it’s a great opportunity to reinvent the band and the kind of music that we wanna put out now, because over the years as I have evolved as a songwriter and a musician, my style of writing has changed a lot.
“The one thread that Godsmack always had to maintain is staying powerful and being a hard rock band. We’re not metal, but we’re not classic rock. We’re right in the middle. But there was some stuff in the early days that was a little closer to metal. It was heavier back then; it was darker. And then over time, as I’ve evolved and grown, I wanted to regress back to just hard rock, which is what I grew up with — Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, bands like that.
“So I think every album that has come out now since the IV album has led to becoming more established as just a hard rock band. And now sometimes the band even starts to gravitate towards being just rock. There’s always one song on a record that opens the door for the next album. And I think with the last album — like when we did When Legends Rise, we had a new kind of sound. Well, let me go back even further. When we did the Faceless album, on album number three, that song ‘I Stand Alone’ came about, and that really set us in a different direction. We started to introduce harmonies on the vocals and things like that.
“And then we went through a bunch of albums and did some heavy stuff, and then when albums like When Legends Rise came out, we had that song ‘Bulletproof,’ and that introduced us to a little bit more of a commercial sound, and we started to see our audience grow even more with women and children. So we took ‘Bulletproof’ and we expanded from that, and we wrote Lighting Up The Sky. And Lighting Up The Sky, I think, stayed more true to just being a hard rock band. And there’s songs like ‘You And I’ — the first song on the last album — that lends itself to being a little bit more ’70s rock feeling, but in a modern way.
“So I think we’re gonna take that and kind of move forward from there. And I think the next record, you may hear a little bit more classic rock feeling. It’ll be heavy, but it won’t be metal. But I haven’t wrote any music yet, and that’s just what my mind is telling me. For all I know, we could end up writing a record that could sound like Pantera, so I have no idea. [Laughs]”
Mangini announced his exit from Dream Theater in October 2023 after 13 years, following the band’s decision to reunite with founding drummer Mike Portnoy, who had departed in 2010. Mangini had been selected through a widely publicized audition that saw him beat out six of the world’s top drummers — including Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati and Derek Roddy — a process documented in a reality-format special called The Spirit Carries On. Before Dream Theater, Mangini built his name in the 1990s playing with Extreme before spending nearly a decade on the road with guitarist Steve Vai. He subsequently joined the faculty of Berklee College of Music as a full-time instructor. Since leaving Dream Theater, Mangini has released a solo album, Invisible Signs (November 2023), and in February 2025 launched a new trio called Monolith alongside bassist and vocalist Hernán “Motley” Rodríguez and guitarist Andy Barrow. Godsmack’s current lineup is Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, guitarist Sam Koltun, and Mangini.
