Archive for the ‘Drowning Pool’ Category

Oct
29

Red Pill Music Exclusive: Interview with Ryan McCombs (Drowning Pool)

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Hey guys, this is Anthony Montalbano and Anthony Danko (A squared, as we’re so called) with RedPillMusic.com. We both have followed Drowning Pool for quite some time and are privileged to have spent time to ask the following questions with Ryan McCombs of Drowning Pool. Here is the interview:

Drowning Pool has gone through many emotional and management changes through the years, how has it been working the guys and with Eleven Seven Music?

Working with the guys; Mike, CJ and Stevie has been great. We were friends for so long before I joined the band that it has been a very natural change, personnel wise. Emotionally speaking VERY few bands have gone down the road these guys have so it’s very even keeled out on the road and off of it. We’ve all been there done that so it takes a lot to get us fluster-fuct. Eleven Seven Music has been a breath of fresh air. It’s nice to have so much input on our music and everything that goes into producing an album. They work with the band not around them. Something very rare in this business.

In ‘Full Circle’, lyrically and musically it is a big step for Drowning Pool, I know Soldiers is dedicated to the U.S. army, but what are some of your other influences for your songs?

Previous DP albums as well as my previous work have always been made up of reality I think, personal experiences. So keeping that in mind not much has changed. I really don’t like discussing exact topics of songs because I like the listener to pull from the song what it means to them. Those are the songs that spoke to me as a listen back in the day.

Drowning Pool did a classic Billy Idol cover song to end the album, what made you pick that song to cover? Were there any other cover songs you had in mind?

Was just a fun track to jam. We didn’t even run through it till we were in the studio recording for the album. We started jamming it and thought it was a good way to close an album that can come across serious.

There’s nothing quite like a live concert, we believe that the live performance of a band has a huge impact on the band as a whole. What is your favorite thing about playing your own music live?

Fans giving us the time of day to do what we do. That?s the ONE thing every band has in common. We owe the fans EVERYTHING. I never leave the stage without letting the people out there spending the night with us know that the music starts with them and the music ends with them.

The recent single Enemy was directed to your former band mates in Soil. Why did you decide to write a song directed to them and how’s your relationship with them?

When I left the band I sighted family reasons as the sole reason for my leaving. I “TOOK THE HIGH ROAD” as the songs states. I didn’t sling any crap or spit any personal bile at anyone in the band that I had issues with yet certain members of the band tried everything they could to hurt my family and myself. They trashed me to fans, friends. They even attacked my family and I to people withen the business. The funniest thing about it though was that their grade school antics just showed everyone why I left and the type of people they really were. When i quit I got so many emails from people we had dealings with saying that they knew all the BS wasn’t me and that if I ever needed anything to just call.
So “ENEMY” is just a reminder that I tried to do things the right way and a bit of a middle finger as well. To this day I really feel sorry for a couple of the guys that they still have deal with the world that a couple of them has created around them.

The music video for Enemy is animated and it’s Gorillaz-esque. Why did you guys decide upon an animated music video and what message, if any did you have in mind with the video?

I hate the video so I’m really not the one to ask.

Drowning Pool had the privilege with working with Nikki Sixx and DJ Ashba. How was it working with them and is the song Reason I’m Alive directed towards anyone or anything specifically?

It was a killer experience working with DJ and Nikki. I would suggest anyone that would get the chance to work with them at FUNNY FARM STUDIOS to do so. Was relaxed and just awesome. I think we all had different things in mind as we bounce lyrics off one another.

Drowning Pool has been very active with your fight to support the troops. The band has also helped launch thisisforthesoldiers.org as well as titling your headlining tour the same, how has the campaign been and do you feel like you’re making progress?

I really think we are making progress on the matter. We encourage everyone to take a second out of their day log onto thisisforthesoldiers.org and check out what you can do to help take care of our troops when they return home.

People really don’t realize the emotional trauma our troops go through over there, what are some direct messages or stories you would like to say that will open up people’s eyes up, making them realize the full effect and truth behind what is “really” going on?

Impossible to answer that question without writing a book. EVERYONE should go over and see with their own eyes the work being done there. The media back here is such BS. CNN is a total joke PERIOD!!!!!!!!

We believe music, in general, is one of the most powerful mediums for sharing thoughts and feelings. It’s as much as a motivator as it is a form of mood. What are some songs that you feel have had an impact on your life and how?

Aeosmith’s “DREAM ON” has been one of my favorite songs since I was a kid. Says it all.

Overall, the success of Full Circle has been growing, we here at RedPillMusic.com personally love the album and believe it is a very powerful and mature album from Drowning Pool, very different from previous material. One last question from us, if you could personally talk to anyone in history, who would it be and what would you ask them?

EVERY COCKSUCKER THAT HAS EVER WORKED ON CAPITAL HILL. I WOULD ASK THEM WHY NONE OF THEM SEEM TO REMEMBER WHO THEY WORK FOR. AND REMIND THEM THE LOBBIEST ARN’T THE PEOPLE.

We thank Ryan McCombs for taking his time with RedPillMusic.com and wish Drowning Pool the best in their fight for U.S. soldiers and their latest release. If you haven’t already, get out to your local record store and pick up Drowning Pool’s latest release Full Circle or click here to order it now! At the very least go visit thisisforthesoldiers.org

Sep
5

Album Review: Drowing Pool – Full Circle

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Besides the death of original lead singer, Dave Williams in August of 2002, not much has been said about the Dallas, TX metal band Drowning Pool. But the boys have been hard at work in the last five years, mostly with finding a suitable lead singer. Jason Jones was brought in to fill the void on Desensitized, but radio play was minimal and no one seemed to notice.

Soon after Desensitized failed to make the impact Sinner had three years prior, Drowning Pool brought Ryan McCabe into the action for Full Circle. Some may recognize the name or voice of McCabe, because he is formerly of the Chicago based metal band Soil. And believe me kids, McCabe does not disappoint in his new gig.

The album may pass as a typical metal album. Crunching guitars, thick drums, and a voice that can go from a growl to a shriek at the drop of a hat make Drowning Pool sound like anyone else. But Drowning Pool is too stylized and slick to get dragged in with everyone else. Simply put, their songs have hooks. Songs like ?Full Circle?, ?Reborn? and the juiced up Billy Idol cover of ?Rebel Yell? could blow up on hard rock radio with ease. In fact, this album has the potential to bring Drowning Pool to the front of the metal pack once again.

The only low point is the dreary ?Reason I?m Alive?. After following the Alice in Chains styled ?Reborn?, it just can?t stand on it?s two feet and take off. ?Paralyzed? is a low tempo tune, yet it works due to it?s incredibly grunge era sound. Which makes it apparent that Drowning Pool is throwing all influences into this record. Obvious metal influences such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are apparent throughout. But plenty of songs have Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots stamped on the forehead. And we can?t forget ?Rebel Yell? closing out the album. Variety will help Drowning Pool tremendously.

Full Circle has great potential of attracting new fans, as well as retaining original fans from the ?90?s. Expect to hear several songs on your hard rock radio in the coming year. And do yourself a favor, pick this album up and crank it.

{Review by: Matthew Chesley}

Aug
9

Drowning Pool & The Exies Tour

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Drowning Pool?s new album, Full Circle, is now available. The new album features the single ?Soldiers? which is dedicated to the troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the new album, the band have announced the This Is For The Soldiers tour with The Exies. The trek kicks off in September and a portion every ticket sold will be donated to the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the USO. In November Drowning Pool will head back to Iraq with the USO to play for the troops.

Dates below:

September 3rd Pavilion at Concrete Street ? Corpus Christie, TX
September 5th Harker Heights Event ? Harker Heights, TX
September 7th Palladium Ballroom ? Dallas, TX
September 8th Hemisphere Park ? San Antonio, TX
September 9th Click?s Billiards ? Tyler, TX
September 11th Graham Central Station ? Pharr, TX
September 13th Dos Amigos Bar & Grill ? Odessa, TX
September 14th Scout Bar ? Houston, TX
September 15th Old Kelly?s ? Abilene, TX
September 18th Jaxx ? West Springfield, VA
September 20th Webster Theatre ? Hartford, CT
September 21st Mark?s Place ? Bedford, NH
September 23rd Crocodile Rock ? Allentown, PA
September 24th Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub ? Cambridge, MA
September 27th Polish Picnic Ground ? Dayton, OH
September 28th The Wedge ? Austintown, OH
September 30th Midtown ? Chattanooga, TN
October 2nd Hooligans ? Jacksonville, NC
October 3rd Recher Theatre ? Towson, MD
October 5th The Machine Shop ? Flint, MI
October 7th Sammy T?s ? Huntsville, AL
October 9th Juanita?s ? Little Rock, AR
October 11th Woody?s Bar ? Evansville, IN
October 13th Jakes ? Lubbuck, TX
October 18th House of Blues ? San Diego, CA
October 19th The Whisky ? West Hollywood, CA
November 2nd Flashbacks Dance Club ? Wichita, KS

Jun
12

Drowning Pool Supporting Troops Overseas

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Drowning Pool, platinum and award-winning hard rock band from Dallas, Texas, have been gathering a prolific buzz about them recently throughout the online community in the political areas of the internet, and from those who are concerned with issues that surround the American troops currently abroad. The band recently completed the USO tour and came back with sincere concerns surrounding the return of the soldiers upon their return home from the middle-east.

?Once home in the United States, we connected with Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans who have returned home,? said Stevie Benton, Bassist and Founding Member of Drowning Pool. ?Though back on safe shores, these individuals are facing a steep uphill battle to reclaim their health after facing the trauma of war.?

Recently, the office of the public liaison at The White House received a letter written by Drowning Pool addressing the issues of healthcare and concerns for the troops on their return home, which was placed in the President?s personal reading file. Several interior cabinets of The White House have been opened to the team of Drowning Pool. One of which contacted Congress directly and are now awaiting a Congressional hearing date, where Drowning Pool will testify to the majority and minority parties of the U.S. Congress, addressing the facts of treatment of the American soldiers upon their return home from the Middle East. The band hopes to accomplish a shift of political and national attention toward the problems at hand concerning the well-being of those who fight and give their lives for the United States. Drowning Pool is preparing for their meeting with Congress by asking their fans, friends, and families to sign their online petition regarding the issue (the link is at the bottom of this article).

The White House is not the only government outlet that has given attention to the letter written by the band. Several of the 2008 Presidential candidates have accepted the letter and issue with open arms from Drowning Pool.

?We are seeking an opportunity to testify before Congress on behalf of these troops and veterans who need mental, emotional and medical support services,? said Benton. That goal will be accomplished with the return of Congress from over the weekend as the calendars and agendas in Washington are being marked to welcome Drowning Pool during the course of the next 6 months.

Drowning Pool are currently touring and preparing for the release of their new record, Full Circle, which features the single ?Soldiers? that they wrote for the troops after being inspired by them on the USO tour. If you would like to support Drowning Pool?s efforts for the American troops over seas, regardless of your political denomination, please follow the link and sign the petition online.

Click Here To Help Drowning Pool Support the Troops