Hard Talk

DROWNING POOL GETS DESENSITIZED!

Interview With DP's New Singer

by Don Sill

"What should we do now?" was perhaps the biggest question the surviving members of Drowning Pool asked themselves after the sudden and tragic death of their beloved front man, Dave Williams. Williams, who died of heart complications two summers ago during Ozzfest, left his band mourning and broken. The remaining band (C.J. Pierce, Stevie Benton & Mike Luce), weren't sure if they should attempt to replace Williams or even continue under the same band name. "I don't know anything else, and I wouldn't want to do anything else and I knew that we had to go on," explained CJ Pierce. "But, we still are kinda going through some stuff, trying to except what's happened and just start over again."

After battling back and forth with the issue they made the bold choice to move forward with Drowning Pool and complete the vision which Williams helped create. They kept their moniker and their arsenal of material, and began searching for a new singer. After a number of auditions they discovered the perfect fit when Jason "Gong" Jones, a musician who had been working in the crowded LA scene, entered their lives and began belting out tunes.

"I bring more 'jackassity'" says Jones half joking, "at this point they needed someone who was a genuine jackass and that's me."

After Jones' audition the band took him to a local strip club where their final decision would be made. Jones can't help but laugh as he recalled that special night, "me and Stevie ended up wrestling in the strip club and ended up knocking like two or three tables over, breaking a bunch of glass and everything. They were like, 'man this guy is a jackass, he fits in real good'. I don't think they were even looking for talent, I think they just said, 'man, this guys a dumb ass we gotta get him.'"

Jones's 'jackassity' combined with salty musical experiences made him perfect fit for Drowning Pool's laid back southern metal mentality. "If we get anymore red-neck it would be disgusting," quipped the South Carolina native. "We all just immediately clicked so it was cool." Jones obviously adds a new flavor to the band, but respects their history and origins. "I know I can never replace Dave," he says, "Dave was Dave and I'm me, you know. But it feels great to be in the band, that's for damn sure."

The pressure's undoubtedly on for Jones, but at the moment he doesn't have time to sit around and sweat it out. "To be honest, I am clueless to the word on the street," says Jones, "We've all been locked in this studio and haven't been outside in days. The other day I realized that I hadn't showered in a week, damn- It's weird for me. We're busy, man."

Drowning Pool's sophomore release, "Desensitized," drop April 20th