GODSMACK Bassist Says New Album Will Come Out 'Hopefully' In 2014

GODSMACK bassist Robbie Merrill was recently asked by Loudwire when fans can expect to hear the follow-up to the band's last collection of all-original music, "The Oracle", which came out in 2010. "We're going to Europe next week, we're there for a month, and then we're home for a month before [the] Uproar [tour]," he said. "We've actually been writing on tour, or trying to anyway. So after that, what I hear is that at the beginning of next year we're going to go in, start writing, and hopefully we'll have a new disc out in 2014."

The Rockstar Energy Uproar Tour kicks off on August 17 in Bonner Springs, Kansas and features STAIND, SHINEDOWN, PAPA ROACH and a number of other acts. Merrill said about the tour, "We're all friends with them so to me it was going to be fun and it was going to be a nice easy summer . . . (each show) should be a good day."

Merrill told The Pulse Of Radio about a hidden talent of his that he gets to utilize whenever GODSMACK goes on tour. "I'm a cook," he said. "I can cook. I make a killer chili. I call it 'chicken sink chili' and I just — whatever's in the kitchen I use. The last few years I've been really doing some really cool stuff in the crockpot and the boys on my bus love me 'cause I set up some really good grub every day when we're on tour."

GODSMACK issued a concert album last month called "Live And Inspired", which also featured newly recorded studio covers of some of the band's favorite classic rock songs, including JOE WALSH's "Rocky Mountain Way", METALLICA's "Nothing Else Matters", THE BEATLES' "Come Together" and PINK FLOYD's "Time".

Later this year, the group will also perform as part of ShipRocked, a five-day cruise that will feature a lineup of rock acts including FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, SEVENDUST and more.