Godsmack's members are quite busy these days as the band ramps up to the Aug. 5 release of their '1000hp' album. The group just revealed another piece to the puzzle, making the album art for the disc available for viewing (pictured).

The news comes on the heels of the band's recent release of the title track from the album. The song is currently available online via iTunes. Keep an eye out for the album track listing and pre-order info to surface shortly.

But Godsmack isn't the only thing the band members have going. Drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola are exploring a different side of the musical spectrum, moonlighting in a blues-rock band called The Blue Cross Band. The two Godsmack rockers have joined with frontman Ray Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter in the group.

Larkin tells News-Press.com, "I see myself doing The Blue Cross Band after Godsmack. This is a style of music I can see myself playing well into my 60s." The drummer reveals that at some point he envisions it will become too physically demanding to play the style of hard rock that Godsmack plays and he's looking at the band as a way to extend his musical career.

He adds, "When I hit the drums in Godsmack, I'm trying to kill 'em. In The Cross, I shut my eyes and I'm into the lyrics and the song and Tony's guitar playing and Brian's bass. It's a band thing, whereas in Godsmack, it's like a gang thing [laughs]. We're out to pummel."

Rombola says The Blue Cross Band offers him a change of pace, adding, "I've spent my life playing different styles. With Godsmack, it's one part of what I do, which is cool, and I try to get better at that, especially in the songwriting department. But [with the Blue Cross Band], I get to play all the stuff I've learned with the blues and apply it to these songs. It's a lot of fun."

The group debuted just last month at a bar in Fort Myers, Fla. and they're playing a pair of Florida-based shows this weekend at Punta Gorda's Bike Night on Saturday and Cape Coral's Dixie Roadhouse on Sunday night.

After their Godsmack responsibilities conclude for the next album, both Larkin and Rombola will return to their Cape Coral, Fla., home base where they'll devote more time to The Blue Cross Band and exploring their blues-rock sounds. They intend on recording an album, playing more dates and signing a record deal to the release their first disc.

Check out more on The Blue Cross Band in the news report filed by News-press.com below.

Check Out the News-Press.com Report on The Blue Cross Band

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