Godsmack‘s revamped touring lineup, now anchored by former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini, brought its “The Rise Of Rock” run to the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse, New York on June 30, and fan-shot footage from the night is already circulating online.
Mangini was drafted in to handle the sticks for the rest of the Sully Erna-fronted band’s current tour after the sudden exit of drummer Wade Murff. He made his live bow with the group on June 12 at the Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, Missouri, lining up alongside guitarist/vocalist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill and guitarist Sam Koltun, the latter of whom first toured with Godsmack across Europe in early 2025 before becoming a full-time member.
What makes the move especially striking is that Mangini stepped straight onto the stage with no rehearsal at all. In an Instagram post after his debut, he laid out just how quickly it all came together:
“Taking this all in today with show 1 done. And just like that, I finally get to play these dream venues in the USA with my Boston brothers in @godsmack I need to thank a lot of people for putting this together so quickly. I can’t even express how grateful I am to Sully, Robbie, Sam and the entire organization for trusting me with no rehearsal. My gear companies performed nothing short of a miracle and my family, friends & fans never stopped praying for and supporting me. Thank you.”
Murff had only been in the fold since the spring, playing north of a dozen shows between May 8 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida and May 30 in Houston, Texas.
The reason for his departure surfaced shortly after. On June 6, it was announced that Murff would step in for Black Veil Brides drummer Christian “CC” Coma (born Christian Mora) for the remainder of that band’s 2026 European tour, citing “an unfortunate personal and private matter.” Murff played his first show with Black Veil Brides on June 10 in Munich, Germany. Neither Godsmack nor Murff has publicly clarified whether the switch is permanent, and fans have been left guessing whether he might return once his Black Veil Brides commitment wraps.
The reshuffle is only the latest for Godsmack, who have moved through a stretch of lineup turnover since longtime guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin departed, opening the door for Koltun and, ultimately, Mangini.
For Mangini, the gig marks a fresh chapter after a high-profile run in prog. He announced his departure from Dream Theater in October 2023, having spent 13 years with the band. He was let go to clear the way for the return of original drummer Mike Portnoy, who co-founded Dream Theater four decades ago. Mangini had originally landed the role in late 2010 through a heavily publicized audition, beating out six of the world’s top drummers, Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy, in a three-day process filmed for the documentary-style reality show “The Spirit Carries On“.
Godsmack‘s “The Rise Of Rock” tour continues across North America with Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy in support before the band heads overseas for a run of European festival dates later this summer.
