GODSMACK Drummer: 'The New World Of Downloading One Song Bothers Me'

GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin recently told Scott McLennan of Worcester Telegram & Gazette that the fact that the group's new album, "IV", does have a thematic arc makes it a rather risky album to release in the iPod age, especially for a band that has built its career with a string of hit singles.

"The new world of downloading one song bothers me," Larkin said. "Rob Zombie said it best when he said that if you took KISS' 'Destroyer' and just downloaded the song 'Beth', that wouldn’t be an accurate representation of what KISS was trying to get across with that album."

But Larkin, who admittedly loves the album concept, said that the art form is in trouble.

"Our manager Paul Geary gave us all iPods for Christmas one year, and he said, 'This is the future.’ He really thinks the CD will even be obsolete in five years, and that everyone is going to simply be downloading 'Godsmack VII' as a whole record."

GODSMACK is currently on the road with ROB ZOMBIE and SHINEDOWN for the mother of all rock shows this summer.

"It was one of those things managers put together," Larkin said, describing in the most unglamorous but honest way GODSMACK and ZOMBIE, another Massachusetts native, came together. "We needed something that would appeal to the promoters. We're good for a 6,000- to-8,000 seater, but we wanted a way to play places that added 3,000 to 4,000 seats."

At this point in its career, GODSMACK knows what its job is, but that doesn't make things necessarily easier.

"We all have families and children now. When I was packing my bag to leave for six weeks, I wasn't all excited. I was sad to leave my wife and kids," Larkin said. "And the older you get, touring is less of a party and more fatigue on the body."

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