Former Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin has come to the defense of his old band’s decision to bring in ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini, pushing back hard against fans who have labeled the celebrated player “overqualified” for the gig.
Mangini stepped into Godsmack‘s lineup in early June after the sudden exit of Wade Murff, who had been with the band for less than a month. He made his live debut on June 12 in Riverside, Missouri, just days after Murff departed to join Black Veil Brides for their European tour.
Speaking during a June 19 livestream on his official YouTube channel, Larkin tackled the criticism head-on, arguing that technical brilliance and a simpler, harder-hitting style are not mutually exclusive.
“The talent level of Mike Mangini being supremely high in the drum world does not mean that Mike Mangini can’t come in and slam a drum like me or John Bonham or whoever plays a simpler style of music. And for what it’s worth, these people that feel this way, prog rock nation or whatever, they probably only heard the songs that everyone hears from Godsmack, and they don’t listen to the rest of the records where we’re not progressive, but we play more intricate metal riffs and songs, like ‘Locked & Loaded‘, like ‘Livin’ In Sin‘. I mean, I could name songs that aren’t just ‘Keep Away‘ and ‘Voodoo‘ and ‘Speak‘ and ‘Cryin’ Like A Bi**h‘ or whatever. And I’m certainly not defending it, because you just look at success, people. And we were very, very successful, and Godsmack will continue to be very successful, whether it’s Mike Mangini playing the drum or [Godsmack frontman] Sully Erna, who played on the first two records and could play the drums if he wants anyway. But I know that Mike would not overplay and wouldn’t feel bored playing in a big rock band like Godsmack if it’s not… I just hate the word ‘overqualified’ in drumming. And then everybody, of course, has to shoot their examples. Rod Morgenstein [playing with] Winger, right? And so I dare any of those dudes to try and learn some Dixie Dregs Rod Morgenstein, and then they have the nerve to try and diss him for joining a rock band like Winger, who’s very simple. I don’t know their songs, but they were famous. And everybody then has to throw their two cents in about money, cash, money, ‘Oh, it’s for the money. Selling out. Terry Bozzio played for Missing Persons for the money. He wants money.’ It’s, like, well, how else are we gonna pay our rent? Or if you wanna, God forbid, get a mortgage, buy a house, maybe get married, have a kid. What are you gonna do? And then you got all this talent ’cause you can play f**king — I don’t know, whatever hard prog song that y’all prog dudes say that’s the holy grail. Like it used to be in thrash, ‘Angel Of Death‘ [Slayer] or whatever, if you could play that. Or on guitar, ‘Eruption‘, that kind of thing. I’m sure there’s a prog song that y’all say, ‘Oh, ‘La Villa Strangiato‘, it should be,'” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Larkin went on to take aim at the constant comparisons that follow any high-profile lineup change in the active rock world.
“So anyway, all these people are… They like to say, ‘That’s like if Virgil Donati played for AC/DC.‘ And in every example that I’ve read, and as I see all these comments, I’m thinking, man, everybody that you’re naming, whether it’s in the positive sense, your Virgil or your whoever, you people will never be that. You can have all the talent in the world, but what you don’t have is vibe or feel. And see, Mike has that too. But Mike‘s not a man that would sit there and write, ‘Oh,’ negative remarks. Because with accomplishment on your instrument also comes these scores of hours, weekly or daily, of practice. And so once you get to the level of a Mike Mangini, you gain humbleness. It just happens with greatness,” he continued.
“In the world of active rock, people are very judgmental towards any kind of… It a comparison thing. They like to compare,” Shannon explained. “And so the best comments that I saw on the whole Mangini thing were the Godsmack real fans that were going, ‘Wow, that could be a different sound for Godsmack even, having that much of a different player.’ And so they’re looking at it like it’s not a comparison of, ‘Oh, is he better or worse?’ than Wade Murff or Shannon Larkin or Will Hunt or Tommy Stewart, all the drummers now that have been behind the throne with Godsmack. Joe Darko was the first one.”
“To get in that situation anyway, you gotta have high skills,” he added. “You don’t get in the audition room unless you have a name somehow. All these people saying these negative things, they didn’t get an audition. They wouldn’t get an audition. And they can justify, ‘Oh, we’re way overqualified.’ Be way overqualified as you’re managing Best Buy, you know what I mean? And then you go home on your Neil Peart kit and you can play every Dream Theater song, and you’re overqualified. And you can feel good about yourself, but you’ll never get the call, you know what I’m saying? So, negativity and karma is a bi**h.
“My point, it’s about feel and vibe. You gotta have the talent to get the audition and get in there, but then, for whatever reason, Wade Murff, it didn’t work,” Larkin continued. “And I watched the videos, and I was cheering Wade Murff on. What a great drummer and great dude. But sometimes it’s not about that. And I know he’s such a good dude, it wasn’t personal either. It wasn’t because they couldn’t get along or some bulls**t. It wasn’t that. But Sully is a perfectionist. My boy, my friend Sully Erna is a perfectionist, especially when it comes to drums because he’s so good as a drummer. That dude’s my level. And I’m not bragging saying I’m high level, but, yeah. You know, experience.”
“We’re humans. We do make mistakes,” he said after a short discussion about click and backing tracks (and name-dropping Nikki Sixx). “That’s another thing that I did notice [while watching videos of Wade with Godsmack], was little tiny mistakes that I’d see. And, of course, it’s a brand new gig so you can’t… But I do know that Sully is a perfectionist and that he was used to somebody that didn’t make mistakes. And when I say that, it’s not a bragging thing. I can say it now ’cause I saw [former Motörhead and current Scorpions drummer] Mikkey Dee say, ‘I never f**k up,’ quote, on Blabbermouth last week. And then I had to read that, of course. And he’s, like, ‘Yeah, if you’re well-rehearsed, and you don’t get drunk or do drugs or something before the show, and you show up, you have all the songs in your mind, and you’re a good drummer, well, why would you f**k up?’ So he goes, ‘I don’t f**k up.’ He even went as far as saying, ‘I told the Scorps when I joined that I don’t f**k up.’ So I’m not being conceited saying ‘I don’t f**k up. I’m saying I don’t f**k up.’ Unlike Mikkey Dee, I do f**k up some time, and it was approximately once a year. And when I f**ked up, I f**cked up. And I’d start the wrong song. And the band’s, like, ‘That’s a f**k-up,’in front of 10,000 people. And you’re, like, ‘Oh.’ And all you can do is laugh it off. ‘Oh, Shannon‘s nervous tonight,’ or something. But that’s it.”
“But anyway, if indeed Wade was making little mistakes even, but repeatedly, then I could see my perfectionist friend, Sully Erna, just probably realizing, it’s gotta be perfect for him or it’s not gonna be perfect.”
Turning back to Mangini‘s future with the band, Larkin sounded confident that the arrangement will stick.
“It looks like Mike has joined the band. Is that forever? Probably. And I know if anybody can do it, Mike Mangini can do it. He has the beast in him, too, to be a big rock drummer and not have to do a zillion notes or something. So don’t underestimate big Mike. And he’s got a Boston accent, fits in with the the guys, I feel. And he’s an interesting drummer to watch, that’s for sure. He’s quirky. He does some cool, quirky, crazy s**t back there. So he’s a showman. And he’s gonna be off the click. And he knows the push and pull, see? It’s experience,” he concluded.
Godsmack is currently crossing North America on “Rise Of Rock World Tour 2026” tour with support from Stone Temple Pilots and Dorothy. Mangini spent 13 years in Dream Theater before exiting the progressive metal veterans when original drummer Mike Portnoy returned to the fold in 2023. Since then, he has released a solo album and formed the band Monolith.
Larkin, for his part, retired from Godsmack a year and a half ago following the touring cycle behind the band’s Lighting Up The Sky album.
“Rise Of Rock World Tour 2026” Remaining Dates:
- June 21 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
- June 23 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
- June 24 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
- June 27 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
- June 28 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
- June 30 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
- July 2 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
- July 3 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
- September 6 – El Paso, TX – Speaking Rock Casino (Dorothy only)
- September 7 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
- September 9 – Denver, CO – Junkyard
- September 11 – Las Vegas, NV – Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino (Dorothy only)
- September 12 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre KUPD UFest
- September 15 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
- September 17 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
- September 19 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
- September 20 – Corning, CA – Rolling Hills Casino and Resort (Dorothy only)
- September 22 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
- September 24 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
- September 26 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater KQXR XFest
