Since forming in Boston in 1995, Godsmack have carved out a niche in the Heavy Metal world with their potent mix of hard-hitting guitars, dark melodies, and uncompromising intensity. Their World Tour 2025 saw the band hit the stage of the famous Hammersmith Apollo for their only UK date, bringing their thundering live show that blends aggression and reflection.
Godsmack
Eventim Apollo – 7 April 2025
Words And Photography: Ash Nash
The stage is hidden behind a huge curtain as AC/DC’s For Those About To Rock blares out over the speakers. The anticipation builds until the curtain finally drops, and the venue erupts. Godsmack are here, and they mean business.
They launch straight into Surrender and never take their foot off the pedal. Sully Erna, confident and composed, holds the audience in the palm of his hand from the very first note.
You And I and When Legends Rise keep the momentum going, and 1000hp thunders through the venue with the kind of pace that lifts the entire room. Cryin’ Like a Bitch is delivered with pure attitude, reminding us just how much fire this band still has in them.
The audience may miss Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola, but drummer Will Hunt on drums and guitarist Sam Bam Koltun are more than up to the job.
Soon comes the showpiece. Batalla De Los Tambores sees Sully and Will face off behind their kits in a display that is more than just a drum solo. It is a duel, a performance, a brilliant bit of theatre that leaves jaws on the floor. It is loud, it is wild and it is absolutely mesmerising.
From Awake to Keep Away and the dark, hypnotic pull of Voodoo, the set is crafted to hit both the nostalgia and the now.
The encore brings the emotional weight, with Under Your Scars offering a heartfelt moment of pause and reflection. Sully’s connection with the crowd is real, and you can feel it in every word.
Bulletproof reignites the fire, and then I Stand Alone closes the night in perfect style. A final declaration of strength and identity from a band who have more than earned their place in the history of heavy music.
