It’s not a secret that Sully Erna is the driving force behind Godsmack. He’s the singer, songwriter, producer and occasional guitarist and drummer. But while he tended to personal matters prior to the recording of the band’s 2006 release, IV, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill and drummer Shannon Larkin took a more active role in the creative process and ended up sharing the writing credit on four songs. The real product of their collaborations, however, comes to us in the form of Another Animal, which also features original Godsmack guitarist Lee Richards and former Ugly Kid Joe frontman Whitfield Crane.

Though new band’s self-produced, self-titled release is hardly essential listening, it is a fine effort with a handful of memorable songs. Foremost among them is “Amends,” a hefty blast of chugging metal. As Godsmack begins to incorporate more acoustic material and experiment with somber, blues-based songs, Another Animal prefers to keep it hard and heavy. With two full-time guitarists, their sound has more meat to it than anything Godsmack has done since Awake. That probably has something to do with why we’re hearing these songs here instead of on a new Godsmack record.

Enlisting Crane as the band’s voice proves to be a wise decision. A key to the album’s success is that you can feel a strong personality in his performance. He is much more than a Sully stand-in. He’s also more versatile than I remember. The best thing this album does, though, is unleash the full talents of Shannon Larkin. He’s a beast behind the drums, and on songs like “The Beast Within” and “Black Coffee Blues,” he takes full advantage of the freedom he has here.

Godsmack is taking an extended hiatus, but I hope Sully is listening to what his bandmates are doing. They have a lot to offer.