GODSMACK’s SULLY ERNA Rips Bands Who Rely Heavily On Backing Tracks During Live Performances: ‘Don’t Go Up There And Pretend You’re A Rock Musician’

Godsmack frontman Sully Erna criticised rock and metal bands that rely heavily on backing tracks during live shows, saying they can conceal what the musicians actually play. He argued that live music’s imperfect, unrepeatable moments are part of its appeal and cannot be recreated by technology.

Erna said Godsmack do not use AI in recording or backing tracks in performances, though they play to click tracks and make adjustments. He distinguished electronic industrial acts such as Ministry, Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy, where technology is integral to the genre, from rock bands using computers for extra guitars, vocals, drums and keyboards. He described his view as shaped by an older-school approach that values extensive practice.