James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its forma ...
. He replaced the previous drummer
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, ...
in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of
Amen
Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jews, Jewish, Christia ...
,
Candlebox
Candlebox is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since its formation in 1990, the group has released seven studio albums, several charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD.
Candlebox found immediate success with the release of ...
,
Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name.
To date, Ugly Kid Joe have released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and ...
, and
Souls at Zero
''Souls at Zero'' is the third studio album by the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. It was released in 1992 by the Alternative Tentacles record label. It was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label. ...
(formerly
Wrathchild America
Wrathchild America was an American heavy metal band formed in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1978. Before settling on the Wrathchild America name in 1988, the band had performed under the names Atlantis, Tyrant, and Wrathchild. They released t ...
).
Shannon played drums for Godsmack for their albums ''
Faceless'', ''
IV'', ''
The Other Side EP'', ''
The Oracle'', ''
1000hp'', and their latest album ''
When Legends Rise
''When Legends Rise'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on April 27, 2018. It marks the band's first album away from heavy metal into a more hard rock sound. The album's first single, "Bulletproof", was ...
''.
Career
Larkin has been playing drums since the age of ten.
He formed
Wrathchild America
Wrathchild America was an American heavy metal band formed in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1978. Before settling on the Wrathchild America name in 1988, the band had performed under the names Atlantis, Tyrant, and Wrathchild. They released t ...
in 1978, recording two albums for
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
before being dropped by the label. The group disbanded and later reformed as
Souls at Zero
''Souls at Zero'' is the third studio album by the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. It was released in 1992 by the Alternative Tentacles record label. It was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label. ...
, signing with
Energy Rekords
Energy Rekords is a record label formed in 1990 by the merging of the three labels: Front Music Production, Electronic Beat Association, and Energy - all small labels run from the Swedish town of Älmhult. By banding together these labels' fou ...
and releasing an eponymous debut album that was well received by critics. He went on to record two albums with
Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name.
To date, Ugly Kid Joe have released five full-length albums, two compilation albums and ...
and two more with
Amen
Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jews, Jewish, Christia ...
.
He joined
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its forma ...
in 2003, replacing departing drummer
Tommy Stewart
Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is probably best known for his stint with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, ...
. He has since appeared on their albums ''
Faceless'', ''
IV'', ''
The Other Side'', ''
The Oracle'', ''
1000hp'', ''
When Legends Rise
''When Legends Rise'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on April 27, 2018. It marks the band's first album away from heavy metal into a more hard rock sound. The album's first single, "Bulletproof", was ...
''.
upLarkin at a Sabian live show in 2008
His numerous side projects have included
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
and
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
band Kiddie Porn with fellow Wrathchild guitarist Jay Abbene and bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock,
MF Pitbulls with members of
Snot, and
The Apocalypse Blues Revival with
Tony Rombola
Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ...
.
He has appeared as a session musician on such albums as ''
Strait Up
''Strait Up'' is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Snot, released on November 7, 2000. The album features appearances by various alternative metal musicians. The album was released as a tribute to Snot's lead singer Lynn Stra ...
'' by Snot and
Glenn Tipton
Glenn Raymond Tipton (born 25 October 1947) is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and ...
's ''
Baptizm of Fire
''Baptizm of Fire'' is the debut solo album by Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton released in 1997. Atlantic released the album on February 17, 1997.
Background
It was recorded and mixed at Devonshire and Ocean Studios, U.S.A. and Monnow Va ...
''. He has played for
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in South Dallas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Ice released his debut album, ''Hooked'', ...
,
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
, and
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000 and since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Rand ...
.
He was featured on the ''
Behind the Player'' series.
Personal life
Larkin is a koi and turtle enthusiast and keeps multiple
koi
or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens.
Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...
and
turtles
Turtles are an order (biology), order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) an ...
at his home.
Tattoos
Larkin has been tattooed by artists all over the world. In addition to a full sleeve on his left arm and tattoos on his right arm, Larkin has Amen tattooed across his knuckles and a hand ripping into the skin on his stomach.
"Shannon Larkin Tattoos"
''Tripod.com''. Retrieved on July 10, 2009.
Discography
Wrathchild America
*''Climbin' the Walls
''Climbin' the Walls'' is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Wrathchild America, released in 1989 by Atlantic Records. The album was moderately successful, becoming the band's only album to chart on the ''Billboard'' 200, where ...
'' (1989)
*'' 3-D'' (1991)
Souls at Zero
*''Souls at Zero
''Souls at Zero'' is the third studio album by the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. It was released in 1992 by the Alternative Tentacles record label. It was reissued in 1999 with bonus tracks on the band's own Neurot Recordings label. ...
'' (1993)
*''Six-T-Six
''Six-T-Six'' is the first EP by American heavy metal band Souls at Zero.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Souls at Zero, unless otherwise noted.
Personnel
* Brad Divens – lead vocals, bass
* Jay Abbene – guitars
* Terry ...
EP'' (1994)
Ugly Kid Joe
*'' Menace to Sobriety'' (1995)
*''Motel California
''Motel California'' is the third album by the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and released on October 22, 1996. ''Motel California'' was the last full-length studio album until 2015. The group disbanded in January 1997 and reformed in 13 yea ...
'' (1996)
*'' The Very Best of Ugly Kid Joe: As Ugly as It Gets'' (1998)
*'' Stairway to Hell'' (2012)
*''Uglier Than They Used ta Be
''Uglier Than They Used ta Be'' is the fourth album by the American rock band Ugly Kid Joe, released in Europe on September 18, 2015, and in North America on October 16.
On February 4, 2015, Ugly Kid Joe started a crowdfunding effort through ...
'' (2015)
Glen Tipton
* ''Baptizm of Fire
''Baptizm of Fire'' is the debut solo album by Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton released in 1997. Atlantic released the album on February 17, 1997.
Background
It was recorded and mixed at Devonshire and Ocean Studios, U.S.A. and Monnow Va ...
''
Amen
*''Amen
Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jews, Jewish, Christia ...
'' (1999)
*'' We Have Come for Your Parents'' (2001)
*'' Death Before Musick'' (2004)
Candlebox
*'' Happy Pills'' (1998)
Snot
*''Strait Up
''Strait Up'' is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Snot, released on November 7, 2000. The album features appearances by various alternative metal musicians. The album was released as a tribute to Snot's lead singer Lynn Stra ...
'' (2000)
Godsmack
*'' Faceless'' (2003)
*'' The Other Side'' (2004)
*'' IV'' (2006)
*'' Good Times, Bad Times.... 10 Years of Godsmack'' (2007)
*'' The Oracle'' (2010)
*'' 1000hp'' (2014)
*''When Legends Rise
''When Legends Rise'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Godsmack. It was released on April 27, 2018. It marks the band's first album away from heavy metal into a more hard rock sound. The album's first single, "Bulletproof", was ...
'' (2018)
*'' Lighting Up The Sky'' (2023)
Another Animal
*''Another Animal
Another Animal was a hard rock supergroup formed by members of Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Dropbox.
History
During the writing sessions of '' IV'' by Godsmack, lead singer Sully Erna encountered writer's block so Tony Rombola, Shannon Larki ...
'' (2007)
As session musician
*'' 30/30-150'' by Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000 and since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Rand ...
*''Hard to Swallow
''Hard to Swallow'' is the third studio album by American rapper Vanilla Ice. Released by Republic Records in 1998, the album was the first album Vanilla Ice recorded after a four-year hiatus following the 1994 release of '' Mind Blowin''. Vanill ...
'' by Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in South Dallas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Ice released his debut album, ''Hooked'', ...
*'' Worship and Tribute'' by Glassjaw
Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
*'' Massive Grooves...'' by Poundhound (aka Doug Pinnick
Douglas Theodore Pinnick (born September 3, 1950), sometimes stylized as dUg Pinnick or simply dUg, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter for the hard rock and progressive metal band King's ...
of King's X
King's X is an American rock band that originated in 1979 in Springfield, Missouri. They were first called The Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact for m ...
) 1998
The Apocalypse Blues Revival
*''The Apocalypse Blues Revue'' (2016)
*''The Shape of Blues to Come'' (2018)
References
External links
Shannon Larkin
on Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larkin, Shannon
1967 births
Living people
Candlebox members
Godsmack members
Ugly Kid Joe members
American blues drummers
American heavy metal drummers
American rock drummers
Musicians from Chicago
People from Martinsburg, West Virginia
20th-century American drummers
American male drummers
Amen (American band) members
Snot (band) members
Wrathchild America members
Souls at Zero (band) members
Another Animal members