Editing Godsmack (section)

===''Lighting Up the Sky'' (2021–2024)===
[[File:Godsmack Worcester.jpg|thumb|Godsmack performing in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]], in 2022]]
News of a follow-up to the album began circulating as early as August 2019 when frontman [[Sully Erna]] revealed in an interview with Canada's [[iHeartRadio]] that the band has been preparing to begin the songwriting process for the album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/godsmack-is-preparing-to-begin-songwriting-process-for-next-studio-album|title=Godsmack Is Preparing To Begin Songwriting Process For Next Studio Album|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=September 13, 2019|access-date=September 28, 2022}}</ref>

It was later revealed that Godsmack would be working on two new releases for 2021: an acoustic EP and a full length album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/godsmack-two-new-releases-2021/|title=Godsmack Planning Two New Releases for 2021|work=[[Loudwire]]|date=August 9, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2022}}</ref> That plan has since been scrapped with Sully admitting that the band was being "a little bit more ambitious" at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/why-godsmack-scrapped-plan-to-release-two-new-albums|title=Why Godsmack Scrapped Plan To Release Two New Albums|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=October 2, 2019|access-date=October 2, 2022}}</ref>

With just one album to focus on, Godsmack drummer [[Shannon Larkin]] said on "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" podcast that the band intended for the album to be released in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/no-new-godsmack-album-before-2022/|title=No New Godsmack Album Before 2022|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=March 3, 2021|date=December 17, 2020}}</ref> In an April 23, 2022, interview with [[WJRR]], frontman [[Sully Erna]] said that the band has finished recording the new album with a new single expected to hit the airwaves in mid-to-late summer and that the album could be the band's last.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/sully-erna-opens-up-about-gnarly-battle-with-covid-19-says-godsmacks-next-album-might-be-bands-last/|title=Sully Erna Opens Up About 'Gnarly' Battle With COVID-19, Says Godsmack 's Next Album Might Be Band's Last|website=Blabbermouth.net|date=April 25, 2022|access-date=April 25, 2022}}</ref>

On September 28, 2022, the band released the single titled "[[Surrender (Godsmack song)|Surrender]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.audacy.com/national/music/audacy-world-premiere-godsmack-surrender|title=World Premiere: Godsmack – 'Surrender'|work=[[Audacy]]|date=September 28, 2022|access-date=September 28, 2022}}</ref> Shortly after the release of the new single, [[Sully Erna]] revealed in an interview with 93X Radio's Pablo that the title of the album would be ''[[Lighting Up the Sky]]'' and that it would indeed be the band's last record.<ref name="93x">{{cite web|url=https://www.93x.com/2022/09/28/interview-sully-erna/|title=Interview with Sully Erna (Godsmack)
|work=93x.com|date=September 28, 2022|access-date=September 28, 2022}}</ref> A second single for the album "You and I" was released on November 11, 2022. The album was released on February 24, 2023.