Album Review: Drowning Pool ‘Hellelujah’

I first listened to Drowning Pool when I was a young boy – head banging, shouting, and admiring the unique haircuts and furry beards. The musician inside is having trouble containing himself; this album is like opening a present from Santa Claus!

Drowning Pool is a 4-piece alt-metal American band formed in 1996.  Their first album ‘Sinners’ was a success and went platinum within six weeks. Since then, the outfit has fought hard through the struggles and disappointments of their ever changing cycle of lead singers. Despite this, lead guitarist C.J Pierce has helped continue on Drowning Pool, expressing the passion through their music.

“…this album is like opening a present from Santa Claus!”

Drowning Pool released their latest album ‘Hellelujah’ earlier this month. Best known for their song ‘Bodies’ sung by founding vocalist David Williams, the new album carries on his legacy.  Throughout the album we hear the groovy, head-banging, heavy rock-anthems that Drowning Pool have established as their signature sound.

The Album’s Single By The Blood begins with a delicious guitar riff and then forces us into a head-banging (f*ck yeah) momentum. C.J. Pierce’s guitar work is heavy yet dynamically colourful and is perfectly accompanied by the melodically, thick gooey bass parts by Stevie Benton. The tight drumming of Mike Luce help Jason Moreno (ex-The Suicide Hook) to brutally project his lethal but beautiful vocals into our ears. By The Blood is definitely not a departure to their signature sound, with the track being a pure head-banger that resonates their sound with the past.

The fourth song in this album titled Hell To Pay sees Drowning Pool experimenting to the softer and slower side of metal. It makes you lean on the edge of the seat and forces you to listen a bit closer to the chord progression. This Song is reminiscent of their 2001 Single Tear Away as the song is not aggressive, but still has that urge to do some head nodding. Despite the progression being quite obvious, it’s exactly what is needed in this song. Waiting for the chords to crunch and the bass to follow through. The lead vocals in the chorus makes you want to sing along, as well as wanting to play a make-believe guitar during the solo. This song seems have everything that’s needed in a slow metal piece.

The entire album is a step up from what they have created in their last few albums, and it’s impossible not to want to hear more. The grooves and pitch and alternation of the guitars is nostalgic of what Drowning Pool was playing back in the 2001 -2004 period. It’s an album that pulls no punches with its lyrical assaults and ear damaging drum shots. As the act states, “This is the most metal record from Drowning Pool to date”, they’re evidently proud of this album! With 13 songs all three minutes and longer, it definitely gives them enough to be pleased about. The content and variety of loud, penetrating songs mixed with smooth and groused vocals could make the album be mistaken for a Pantera record! It is safe to say that Drowning Pool is back with a vengeance.