SULLY ERNA: If There Is A Masculine And Feminine To My Art, This Would Be More Of The Feminine

Zoiks! Online recently conducted an interview with GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Zoiks! Online: You've got a new solo album, "Avalon", coming out on September 14. If you had to describe the album, how would you do so?

Sully Erna: Wow, you're right at it, there's no messing around with you. That's a good question, because creating this thing was such a journey and it was just trying to figure out what it sounds like, and then as each song came out… they're very different from the next. Every song could be a different genre of music, but for some reason when you listen to it as a whole body of work it just works and connects really well. I would have to describe it as more intellectual and eclectic, hypnotic and tribal, because it was all done with hand drumming. Sometimes we just hit these pockets, these grooves where it just kind of puts you in this trance. It's still got really beautiful melodies, I think, and some great compositions and some amazing musicians that were on the record with me. Yeah, so I'd have to use words like that, eclectic and tribal and very intellectual at times I guess.

Zoiks! Online: You've been working on it for what seven years, on and off, is that right?

Sully Erna: Well you know… No, I haven't been thinking much about a solo record, I just had some songs over the past seven years that I kicked to the side because I knew they'd never be quite right for GODSMACK, but I really liked the songs and I didn't want to just throw them away. I was just like I'll eventually record them someday for something. GODSMACK took that two year break and I found myself with a lot of time, so I thought why not try to put this together. Of course over the last several years I've grown musically as well and then I pulled in some musicians that I really thought would bring in some authenticity to these certain styles I wanted to use, like with more of the Native American drumming. My percussion player, he's from DEAD CAN DANCE (Niall Gregory),he's from Ireland. He's proficient in Brazilian drumming and Australian drumming… all hand drumming. Then reeling Lisa (Guyer) into this project who has this four-octave range, then we have this Bulgarian cello player Irina (Chirkova),everybody plays at such a level and much more beyond what I have been as a musician, but it was really great to bring in these different inspirations from different parts of the world and having that to add to the process as well. It's been a really great experience making this record.

Zoiks! Online: GODSMACK has become such a huge band that has a definitive sound that the fans want maintained. Do you feel restricted in anyway working in GODSMACK and has that had anything to do with the versatility in "Avalon"?

Sully Erna: You know there was a point in time when I was starting to feel choked, but now what's happened is it's come around full circle, because I've realized that over the years I've always had this other style of music in me and that's why you've heard songs like "Voodoo" and "Serenity" and pieces like that come out of me, because I really have this whole kind of primitive vibe that I love to pursue, this world music kind of stuff. I've now identified what GODSMACK is. I also utilize this solo stuff as my vehicle to present those other kinds of music that are inside of me. There's a whole different kind of art that I love to create. Now I have this vehicle to exercise that through, also at the same time maintain the integrity of what GODSMACK is, because GODSMACK is just a big power monster that is just raw and tough and in your face. This is more like… if there is a masculine and feminine to my art, this would be more of the feminine… a strong female, very powerful and GODSMACK is the masculine.

Zoiks! Online: Do you think this is your most personal work?

Sully Erna: Without a doubt man, I have literally slit my wrists open and dumped it into this record. Everything I have known in this life, from the time I was born until now is reflected in this record. I have never been so vulnerable (laughs),I mean it's all there. Hopefully people will appreciate the honesty in it.

Zoiks! Online: Are there going to be any live shows or a tour that go along with the album?

Sully Erna: Man, I hope so. I definitely don't want to just stop it here at a record. I have to finish doing some runs with GODSMACK first. I'm not sure what this is live yet, that's what I'm still trying to figure out, I have so many different, great ideas for this project that I don't know if it's a special event project, like awards shows or if it's going to be more theatrical production in theaters. I'm not sure yet, it's a little bit premature to say, but the hope is for sure to get it out there for people to see live, because I for sure want to play this stuff live.

Read the entire interview from Zoiks! Online.