Rock veterans Godsmack have unveiled the official music video for their latest single, “Truth.” Directed by frontman Sully Erna and Francesca Ludikar, the video leaves viewers pondering the song’s deeper meaning. Released in February 2023 as part of their album “Lighting Up The Sky,” “Truth” stands out as a departure from Godsmack‘s signature hard-hitting rock sound: an emotionally charged ballad showcasing Erna‘s powerful vocals.
In a recent interview on I-Rock 93.5 radio station, Sully Erna revealed the deeply personal story behind “Truth”. Erna described the song as stemming from a devastating betrayal he experienced during the recording process. The emotional toll was so significant that it forced him to temporarily halt the entire recording process of their last album.
“If anyone knows anything about me, they know that I always write about real-life events that have affected me on an emotional level, good or bad. And, unfortunately, this wasn’t one of the better ones in my life, but it was about as real as it gets. And, ironically, this event happened to me in my life right when I was recording and writing this last record. So we were already in the studio for a month or two, and we were writing and tracking some of these songs. And then this happened to me in my life, where a seven-year relationship was betrayed. It shut me down, it broke me for a minute. I had to shut down the whole project. The guys were very understanding, but I had to leave at that point.”
Erna elaborated on the impact this had on his life, describing the difficulty of processing the situation and rebuilding his life after experiencing such a deep betrayal. Despite the initial pain, Erna found solace in writing the song, which served as a form of catharsis. However, the raw vulnerability of the song made him apprehensive about sharing it with the public.
“I had built a life there. I had relocated to Florida, living near the guys. We built a recording studio. I was building a life with this person who betrayed me. And then, unfortunately, I had to go and heal. So we took about six or seven months, and I went home to New Hampshire and just kind of processed everything and did my best to get past it. But in that interval, this song came to me. And whenever something like this passes through me, I have to capture it when it’s happening or it’ll go away very quickly. And I just knew it was gonna be a painful one — it was gonna be raw, it was gonna be emotional, it was gonna be really vulnerable. And I’m sitting there going, like, ‘Oh, do I wanna expose this to the public?’ But it’s such a beautiful song, and I’m thinking, like, ‘What do I do?’ I wanted to play it for the guys, but I couldn’t really even sing it for them, sitting at a piano and trying to perform it for them so they got a sense of what it was. And it was just hard, man. It was hard. I was breaking down a lot because I was still processing this shit. They say that the people who can hurt you the most are the ones that you love the most. So it was that kind of situation.”
Ultimately, the power of the song prevailed, and “Truth” found its place on the album. Erna acknowledged the potential emotional strain he might face performing the song live but recognized it as a necessary sacrifice for his art.
“But anyways, long story short, man, the song gets done. We track it, and we’re just sitting there listening to it. We’re going, like, ‘Oh, this is a really big, beautiful rock ballad. We have to put this on the record.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Man, you know what’s gonna happen. This song is gonna end up being a Number One. I’ll have to sing it for the rest of my life and it’ll always be that painful moment.’ But it is what it is. And it’s part of the sacrifice that we give to you people as artists, is baring our souls and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable at times to let you on the inside to let you see that we’re no different than anyone else out there. We’re humans and human things happen to us just like anyone else, but in the end, we all know that beautiful art sometimes comes from a dark place.”
