We just turn on the TV and there you guys are performing a song. Take us through what actually happens when you perform on a show like that.
We got here at 10am and did the first sound check at 11:30. That's just for the sound, the audio. Then you take a break for an hour while they practice skits and Jay's gags and things like that. Then you go back and do a video soundcheck for the cameras to make sure they are working right for the performance. Then you go back into the dressing room and do phone interviews. About five minutes ago Jay came in and talked to us. It's surreal. This is the third time we've done Leno.

A lot of people are describing your new album Godsmack IV as more mature. Would you agree?
Yeah, I guess. Our band's been around for ten years, so hopefully we've matured. The sound of the band has changed and gotten better. Sully pulled back on the reins and let the three of us write a little more on this record, let us express ourselves a little bit more.

It sounds like the recording process was a little different this time around.
When I first joined the band it was weird, because Sully played the drums on the first two records. I came into a situation where he was used to playing the drums, so he really had his hands in the drum parts on the Faceless record. The acoustic thing let him open up a little bit and be more comfortable with me. And so this last record was even more so, letting me do my thing. It was because we wrote a lot of the songs. Before Sully wrote 90 percent of the music, so he already had a vision of what the drums should be. That didn't allow much freedom. When I'm coming up with the song it's my vision on what I should play. It's been a lot easier for me and a lot more fun for me. I listen back and feel like I'm more of a part of it.

You wrote nearly 40 songs for the album and cut it down to 11. How did that process work?
It's Sully's band and his vision. He sifted through all the music and picked the songs that he wanted on the album. We all said "all right." He's always had the vision of everything Godsmack from the artwork to the production to the engineer to the studio to what TV shows we play. Everything. When it comes time to pick the songs it's all Sully.

With "Speak" being the number one song on the rock charts for several weeks, does that increase your expectations for the success of the album?
Our expecations are that we have to sell platinum or better so we don't get dropped from our record label and have to go and build houses again. It all comes down to that. We would do backflips if it sold two or three million and would be bigger than any record, but in reality we just need to tour our asses of and work hard and make this thing go platinum so that we can make another record and do another tour and continue to live the life we dreamed about when we were kids growing up. We're living it now.

Does you experience in Ugly Kid Joe where you were a platinum band that ended up getting dropped by a record label affect your attitude today?
It certainly makes me nervous when a new record comes out by Godsmack, because I've been in a band that had a multi-platinum record and watched the next one flop and see how quickly the major label that we made millions of dollars for dropped our ass in a heartbeat without a second thought or second chance. I know how ruthless this business is. That's why when a new record comes out I want it to sell so I can continue to do this. I'm not getting any younger and I certainly have no other skills. I've been doing this since I was ten years old and I have never done anything except play drums.

What record label will it be on?
It will be on Godsmack's label, Universal. We went to them first and told them we were doing it. It's cool because we played it for the president of Universal. He came out to L.A. and we played him some new Godsmack stuff and then played three songs by Another Animal. It was the coolest thing. He looked up at our manager and said "let's do this."

You've worked with some big names over the years, like Glenn Tipton. The album you worked on with him ten years ago was just re-released.
It came out when I did it and was on Atlantic. It probably sold 30,000 copies and they stopped printing it. It was called Baptizm Of Fire and has been re-released with some bonus tracks. One of my road crew guys from Godsmack did a show with Judas Priest when we were on break. He met Glenn Tipton and he told him to tell Shannon I said hi. I haven't spoken to him since the day I recorded. He had really nice things to say. That was a huge thing for me. The first band that I ever saw at an arena concert was Judas Priest in 1981. I also had the opportunity to play with my idols Black Sabbath and Ozzy. There was one show where Mike Bordin (who was the band's drummer during the 1997 Ozzfest) had to go play with Faith No More, which was his main band at the time. I got the call from Sharon Osbourne and got to be in Black Sabbath for one day. It was rad.

More recently Godsmack went and played at Camp Pendleton for the Marines. We got a call that Ted Nugent was doing the Star Spangled Banner and wanted to jam with us. He said he was going to play "Cat Scratch Fever" for sure, but asked us what else we wanted to play. We said "Stranglehold!" It's like a 7 minute song. I learned "Cat Scratch Fever" when I was ten years old. So I'm looking up playing and seeing Ted Nugent in front of me. It was so surreal.

Weren't you in Candlebox for a brief time as well?
I was never actually in the band. I was in Amen at the time. I actually just talked to Casey Chaos yesterday. When we finished the Godsmack record I went into the studio and recorded 40 songs for the new Amen record in three days. Getting back to the story, my manager at the time also managed Candlebox. We had just finished an Amen record and Candlebox's drummer quit. They had two legs of their tour left at the time. My manager asked me if I was interested, and it turned out to be two six week tours. I was never actually in the band, I just toured with them. They were a great band.

Not too long ago my buddies Corey and Jim from Stone Sour called me. Their drummer was having personal problems at the time. They found a new drummer, Roy Mayorga, who recorded ten songs with them, but then had to go on the road with Sepultura. They had two more they wanted to record and called me. Just two weeks I went into Dave Grohl's studio and did a couple of songs with Stone Sour. So I'm keeping really busy.