Dallas band Drowning Pool makes a strong comeback

Drowning Pool didn’t know whether they were going to makeanother record, but with its new album Desensitized, theband ventured out a little further and wasn’t afraid, drummerMike Luce said.

Drowning Pool is a Dallas-born rock band with one platinum albumunder its belts.

While platinum status sings success in the record industry, whenthis quartet lost their front man, Dave Williams, less than twoyears ago, their world came to a screeching halt.

The band’s future became painfully uncertain.

Formed in the late ‘90s, by Williams, guitarist C.J.Pierce, drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton, Drowning Poolwas a well-known band on the local circuit until they got their bigbreak.

“I was in complete shock that we were even signed to beginwith,” Luce said.

“Bodies,” the first single from its debut album,Sinner, soared to the top of the charts and landed the banda spot on Ozzfest 2001.

Drowning Pool began the tour opening at 10 a.m. on the thirdstage.

While album sales climbed, the band climbed too, right into amore respectable spot on the second stage. Toward the end ofOzzfest ’01, Drowning Pool even played select shows on themain stage.

The hits kept coming. The release of the second single”Sinner,” then a third, “Tear Away,” fueledalbum sales in excess of 1.5 million.

Drowning Pool was on top of the world.

After opening for Disturbed on the Music as a Weapon Tour andheadlining the Jagermeister Music Tour, Ozzfest invited the bandfor a second go-round, but this time in an elite main-stageslot.

Ozzfest 2002 had barely begun when Williams’ body wasfound in his bunk on their tour bus in the afternoon of August 14.Autopsy results indicated his death was the result of anundiagnosed heart muscle disease, cardiomyopathy.

The day they lost Williams, Drowning Pool lost their best friendand brother.

“Dave Williams was one of a kind, and a friend to everyonehe met. He was a good man and a giving person. Not a day went bywhen he wasn’t giving somebody a little present and touchingeveryone around him with his passion. He was full of energy untilthe day he passed and undeniably full of life. To the end, we werehaving a great time,” said the surviving members of DrowningPool in a statement. “We will miss him.”

“Imagine being in a band and losing your singer. The firstthing you think of is, ‘Do I still even have ajob?'” Luce said. After months of searching, hundredsof audition tapes and a chance meeting through a mutual friend,Jason “Gong” Jones signed on as the newest member ofDrowning Pool.

“We knew we had the right singer,” Luce said, aboutthe former tattoo-artist-turned-rock-star from Los Angeles.”Jason definitely fits right in with the band. He’s afifth member now. Dave’s still a part of the band.”

April 20, marks the release date for Drowning Pool’ssecond album, Desensitized. You can tune into local rockstations like Dallas’ 97.1 The Eagle (KEGL) to hear thealbum’s first single, “Step Up”.

The single also appears on the soundtrack for ThePunisher, a comic-based action thriller released in theatresApril 16.

Coinciding with the release of the album, Drowning Pool iscurrently on the road with MTV’s Headbanger’s BallTour, which also features Damageplan, Hatebreed and Unearth.

“The Headbanger’s Ball Tour is just basic,stripped-down rock and roll-metal,” Luce said. “Youjust get up there, sweat, rock out and have a good time.”

“Within the last week it has really been coming together.It’s a great tour,” Luce said, despite being off theroad for the past 15 months. “We’re all friends. TheDamageplan guys and us go way back, obviously.”

Damageplan is a new band formed by Drowning Pool’slongtime friends and former Pantera members, guitarist DimebagDarrell and drummer Vinnie Paul.

Despite their success, Drowning Pool might be one of the fewbands who does not let stardom go to their heads. “Ultimatelyyou know us,” Luce said. “We’re a band fromTexas. … We just like the hard rock and the booze. Some Texasfun, some barbeque and some beer. Let’s have a goodtime!”

And a good time it is, in their new video for “StepUp”.

The new video features Drowning Pool members portrayed as fourmen leading nothing short of the stereotypical rock star lifestylein the Hollywood Hills, complete with booze, bathtubs and lots ofbeautiful women.

This image of them “could not be further from the truth.We did it because it’s a fantasy,” Luce said.

“I’m not afraid to admit it — I like females.I love women. We grew up listening to stuff like Motley Crue andVan Halen, back in the day. It was all a celebration,” hesaid.

“You had the good time, you poured the drinks, you werethe host of the party, you know. And hopefully at your party youhad some females to talk to,” Luce said.

These down-to-earth guys didn’t miss a beat during theirSunday show at Nokia Live in Grand Prairie.

Their playlist featured an even combination of the hits from thefirst album, Sinner, as well as heavier new music fromDesensitized.

Jones seemed right at home on stage.

His ferocious voice energized the fans, and he even jumped intothe mosh pit and finished the song “Bodies” fromsomewhere in the crowd.

Not to be upstaged, Luce did a little crowd-surfing of his ownafter their set.

The Headbanger’s Ball Tour finishes in mid-May.

After a short stint in Europe, Drowning Pool plans to tour thestates through Christmas.

“We didn’t want to do it without the rightguy,” Luce said.

And now that they’ve found Jones, they will “go atit like there’s no tomorrow, and hopefully people will digit,” Luce said.