The New Drowning Pool Song is a Tribute to Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul
Today in “unexpected sentences:” that headline.
Dallas alt-metal unit Drowning Pool, who you definitely know best for the song “Bodies,” have a new record on the way. Titled Strike a Nerve, it’s their first since 2016 and will mark the first time a vocalist has appeared on three Drowning Pool albums. It also features the most nü artwork of all time.
They also released the album’s first single, “Mind Right,” today along with a brief explanation of the track. Turns out, Pantera was on the brain when they wrote the track. Guitarist CJ Pierce says:
“‘Mind Right’ started with the core Drowning Pool sound, then really dug into our southern metal roots. This song was written not long after Vinnie Paul died, as a tribute of sorts to him and Dime[bag Darrell] and a way for us to honor the impact Pantera had on our local Dallas scene. It’s probably the heaviest song we’ve recorded, but it’s the perfect way to close Strike a Nerve; like the title of the song says, we all need to get our minds right. We need to see what’s going on around us, stand up for what we believe in, and always focus on the bigger picture. We can’t wait to play this one live!”
The song doesn’t really sound anything like Pantera, but it makes sense that Drowning Pool were influenced by the fellow Texans because, well, who wasn’t? Vocalist Jasen Moreno adds about the album:
“This record is so badass, it’s perfect. It’s the four of us doing what we do to the best of our abilities,” says Drowning Pool vocalist Jasen Moreno. “The band is tight in every way. We’re firing off on all cylinders. We’re at the top of our game. There are all different ways of saying it, but it all amounts to the same thing — the results are just magic. From the way the record sounds, to the writing of it, to the production, to the look of it — it’s just a perfect Drowning Pool record. None of us could ask for anything more…”
Pierce adds:
“Strike A Nerve is the most exciting and intense music from Drowning Pool to date. We’ve stayed true to the core sound people know from us, but we’ve taken everything we do to another level. We’ve been writing music together for over twenty years—half of that with Jasen — and this album is more refined and more true to who we are than anything we’ve done before. Sometimes it’s heavier than we’ve ever been, sometimes it’s lighter, and sometimes we go in a direction that surprises even us — but it’s always just brutally honest, and that comes through in every track.”
Strike a Nerve is out on September 30. Drowning Pool will tour to support the album.
Sep. 17 – Central Florida Metal Fest – Orlando, FL
Sep. 26 – Lafayette’s Music Room – Memphis, TN
Sep. 28 – Jergels – Warrendale, PA
Sep. 29 – The Eclectic Room – Angola, IN
Sep. 30 – The Machine Shop – Flint, MI
Oct. 01 – Stormy’s Music Venue – Beaver Dam, WI
Oct. 02 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
Oct. 04 – The Winchester Music Tavern – Lakewood, OH
Oct. 05 – The Blue Note – Harrison, OH
Oct. 07 – Hard Times Four Mile Fork – Fredericksburg, VA
Oct. 08 – Stage West Penn State – State College, PA
Oct. 09 – RV Music Fest (Ellie Ray’s Resort) – Branford, FL
Oct. 09 – Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ
Oct. 11 – The Concourse – Knoxville, TN
Oct. 12 – Shagnasty’s – Huntsville, AL
Oct. 14 – The Wildcatter Saloon – Katy, TX
