Two drummers. Two full kits. Two spinning risers. Nobody’s playing nice. That’s the beating heart of Godsmack Live at Mohegan Sun, the Boston rockers’ career-spanning concert film. It’s now up for GRAMMY® consideration in three categories. The film is in the running for Best Music Film. “Battle of the Drums” is in the mix for Best Rock Performance and for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, with the arrangement credited to Sully Erna.
Why Godsmack Live at Mohegan Sun Hits Like a Haymaker
Most live albums feel like souvenirs. This one feels like evidence. Sully Erna, Shannon Larkin, Tony Rombola and Robbie Merrill tear through more than three decades of material. They do it in the Connecticut arena that has become a second home for the band.
The résumé speaks for itself. Godsmack have sold more than 20 million records worldwide. They’ve also earned 11 No. 1 singles at mainstream rock radio, plus 20 Top 10s, the most of any act at that format since 1999. Add four GRAMMY nominations and a Billboard Music Award for Rock Artist of the Year. This band didn’t stumble into the conversation.
“Battle of the Drums”: Thirty Years in the Making
Let’s be honest about drum solos. At most rock shows, that’s the beer run. Not here.
“Battle of the Drums” started in the mid-’90s, with Erna banging percussion beside the band’s early drummer. Over the decades, he and Larkin turned it into a full-blown duel. It’s matching kits, rotating risers and two players finishing each other’s sentences in rhythm. Erna puts it plainly: “Shannon and I have worked on it for decades and really perfected it into a spectacle.”
Neil Peart Signed Off on It
The campaign video pairs the performance with archival commentary from the late Neil Peart. When the Rush legend praises the care two drummers put into a piece, you listen. Modern Drummer went further: “There have been many drum solos in hard rock, but there is none like Godsmack’s ‘Battle of the Drums’.” The magazine also put Erna on its October 2026 cover.
How to Get Your Hands on Godsmack Live at Mohegan Sun
The album and film are out now through Primary Wave. They come in digital, double vinyl, Blu-ray and CD. Collectors, mark your calendar for RSD Black Friday on November 27, 2026. A limited-edition 12-inch picture disc will feature “Battle of the Drums” and “I Stand Alone.” It’ll be sold only at participating independent record stores.
Want it live? The Rise of Rock World Tour 2026 returns to Mohegan Sun Arena on October 24. That’s the room where this whole thing was captured. From the city, it’s about two and a half hours up I-95. Erna will also join Aerosmith at the Hollywood Bowl for California, Dream On: Aerosmith and Friends.
The Bottom Line
Godsmack built their name on stage, not in the studio. Godsmack Live at Mohegan Sun proves it, and “Battle of the Drums” makes the case louder than any campaign ever could. Watch it, spin it, then go see it in person.
Tickets and tour dates: Godsmack.com/Tour