Drowning Pool recently released their first album in six years, “Strike a Nerve”, via T-Boy/Ume. Though the album’s lyrical sentiment may sound as if it was written about the hardship of the pandemic, it was actually written and recorded prior to the lockdown. Perhaps a foreboding sense of the grim things that awaited the world!
“Strike a Nerve” is well worth the six-year wait as it’s a fierce and diverse album from Stevie Benton [bassist and founding member], C.J. Pierce [guitarist and founding member], Jasen Moreno, [lead singer since 2012]; and Mike Luce [drummer and founding member].
The album is a testament to their rebellious spirits that drive these finely crafted songs. One could only imagine how difficult it was for the band to wait for the right time to unleash it on the world. The lead-off track, “Hate Against Hate,” lets you know right out of the gate that these guys aren’t messing around. They keep their foot on the gas for two-thirds of the album only to slow down for a moment with the powerfully haunting song, “Everything But You,” and then instantly ramp back up with one of the album’s most sonically devastating songs, “Down in the Dirt” that hits you in the face like a brick.
Jasen, who has been with the band for over ten years, crushes it vocally while the band takes listeners on a roller coaster ride with its never-ending stream of ingenious yet brutal riffs and propulsive rhythms. “Strike a Nerve” raises the bar for the band and will leave listeners breathless by the time it reaches the last power chord. The band is currently on their second leg of the tour and playing five new songs off it. Tickets for the tour can be purchased here.
Correspondent Robert Cavuoto spoke with guitarist C.J. Pierce about the difficult decision to wait to release the album, how all members contributed to the writing, the work that went into sequencing this album to take fans on its wild ride, and his old-school metal approach in writing, recording and playing guitar live. Watch or listen to their all-encompassing conversation below and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
