# Shannon Larkin

James Shannon Larkin (born April 24, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen, Candlebox, Ugly Kid Joe, and Souls at Zero (formerly Wrathchild America).
Shannon played drums for Godsmack on their albums Faceless, IV, The Oracle, 1000hp, When Legends Rise, and their latest album Lighting Up the Sky.

## Career

Larkin has been playing drums since the age of ten.
He formed Wrathchild America in 1978, recording two albums for Atlantic Records before being dropped by the label. The group disbanded and later reformed as Souls at Zero, signing with Energy Rekords and releasing an eponymous debut album that was well received by critics. He went on to join Ugly Kid Joe in 1994 replacing their touring drummer who replaced its drummer Mark Davis, recording two albums with the band before its breakup in 1997 and spent a decade with the band following its reform in 2010, recording another two albums before leaving the band in 2021. He recorded two more with Amen before joining Godsmack.
He briefly played with Black Sabbath at one show on July 1, 1997, when regular drummer Mike Bordin was unavailable.
He joined Godsmack in 2003, replacing departing drummer Tommy Stewart. He has since appeared on their albums Faceless, IV, The Other Side, The Oracle, 1000hp, When Legends Rise, and Lighting Up the Sky.
His numerous side projects have included hardcore punk and thrash metal 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.
He has appeared as a session musician on such albums as Strait Up by Snot and Glenn Tipton's Baptizm of Fire. He has played for Vanilla Ice, Glassjaw, and Stone Sour.
He was featured on the Behind the Player series.

## Personal life

Larkin is a koi and turtle enthusiast and keeps multiple koi and turtles at his home. 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, he has "Amen" tattooed across his knuckles and a hand ripping into the skin on his stomach.

## Discography
### Wrathchild America

* Climbin' the Walls (1989)
* 3-D (1991)

### Souls at Zero

* Souls at Zero (1993)
* Six-T-Six EP (1994)

### Ugly Kid Joe

* Menace to Sobriety (1995)
* Motel California (1996)
* The Very Best of Ugly Kid Joe: As Ugly as It Gets (1998)
* Stairway to Hell (2012)
* Uglier Than They Used ta Be (2015)
* Rad Wings of Destiny (2022)

### Glen Tipton

* Baptizm of Fire

### Amen

* Amen (1999)
* We Have Come for Your Parents (2001)
* Death Before Musick (2004)

### Snot

* Strait Up (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 (2018)
* Lighting Up the Sky (2023)

### Another Animal

* Another Animal (2007)

### As session musician

* "30/30-150" by Stone Sour
* Hard to Swallow by Vanilla Ice
* Worship and Tribute by Glassjaw
* Massive Grooves... by Poundhound (aka Doug Pinnick of King's X) (1998)

### The Apocalypse Blues Revival

* The Apocalypse Blues Revue (2016)
* The Shape of Blues to Come (2018)