Drowning Pool

The band was formed in 1996 by guitarist C. J. Pierce and drummer Mike Luce, who were later joined by bassist Stevie Benton. Citing a range of influences on their music, including Metallica, Anthrax, Slipknot, Alice in Chains, SOil, AC/DC and Pantera, Drowning Pool performed as an instrumental trio until 1999 when they recruited vocalist Dave Williams. The band quickly found fame after playing with Ozzy Osbourne during Ozzfest and released their debut album “Sinner” in June 2001, which features the band’s most well-known song, “Bodies”.

The album went platinum within an astonishing six weeks, however their fortune took a retrograde turn when singer Williams was found dead inside his tour bus. He sadly died from a heart condition which had been undiagnosed until after his death. The band decided to continue after William’s death and recruited Jason Jones in 2003. The vocalist recorded just one album “Desensitized” (2004) then subsequently left the band in 2005, due to “musical differences”.

In 2005, Ryan McCombs, formerly of metal band SOil was announced as Drowning Pool’s new vocalist. The band had originally wanted him to replace Dave Williams. Their third album, “Full Circle” was released in August 2007, after signing a new record deal with Eleven Seven Music and changing to a new management company. They toured with Sick Puppies and Seether in support of the album. A self-titled fourth album was also released in April 2010. Unfortunately, McCombs announced that he was leaving the band to rejoin his previous band SOil for a tour and new album, again leaving Drowning Pool without a singer.

Undeterred, the band continued writing for their fifth album and began auditioning for a new vocalist. Current vocalist Jasen Moreno, from The Suicide Hook, joined the band in 2012 and made his debut in 2013 on “Resilience” – an apt title for a band that has battled through misfortune and remained together despite it all. On the 10th anniversary of Dave Williams’ death, the band released a song in tribute of him titled “In Memory Of…”, the first to feature Moreno’s vocals.