Drowning Pool will release its new album, “Strike a Nerve,” via UMe/T-Boy. It will be the band’s sixth studio album and its third with frontman Jasen Moreno.
Founding members C.J. Pierce, Stevie Benton and Mike Luce have played together for an uninterrupted 25 years, with Moreno joining the band in 2012. The singer’s 2013 debut, “Resilience,” recently was RIAA-certified gold.
Fueled by the hit singles “Bodies,” “Tear Away” and title track “Sinner,” the band’s 2001 debut is RIAA-certified platinum and closing in on double-platinum status.
“I’m so grateful for such a big opportunity and proud of everyone’s hard work that afforded us this chance,” Moreno said. “It’s been such a flood of emotions since we started recording this album and talking to Universal. It almost didn’t seem real when everything was put on pause because of COVID. I’m so eager for people to hear the new record and get out there and perform it live. I’m very excited and I welcome the pressure of the moment, but what I feel most is gratitude and anticipation for what the future holds.”
The album and deal were completed prior to the pandemic that put the music industry on hold in March 2020, giving the band the rare opportunity to live with a finished album for more than a year and a half before making plans for its release.
“I don’t want to be one of those guys who spouts off about ‘Strike a Nerve’ being the greatest record we’ve ever made, but I’m looking forward to letting everyone who hears it have that debate,” Benton (bass) said. “What I will say is that we put every bit of our heart and soul into these songs and hope everyone digs the album as much as we do.”
A first glimpse at ‘Strike a Nerve’ was offered to fans on the ShipRocked cruise, where the band unveiled the title track and “Hate Against Hate” live during a Jan. 22, 2022, headlining set. A new track will be added to the set list with the band’s return to the road in March when its embarks on the Brothers in Arms Tour with longtime friends Ill Niño and (Hed) P.E.
The tour comes on the heels of the 20th anniversary of Drowning Pool’s “Sinner” debut, which saw the album released on vinyl for the first time. The LP release included a standard black vinyl version, a limited number of turquoise vinyl available exclusively through Revolver magazine and a forthcoming limited edition run of 666 copies on blood-red vinyl to be available exclusively through the band.
“As a band, we’ve been through all the ups and downs you can imagine and then some,” Luce (drums) said. “When our manager told us that Universal was interested, we were beyond excited, but honestly thought it was just a pipe dream. Then we met the team, things became real, and we realized that they truly are as passionate about music as we are. After all that we’ve been through, being a part of the Universal family is just an unimaginable moment.”
Tour dates:
Mar 13 – San Antonio, TX @ Rock Box
Mar 15 – Destin, FL @ Club LA
Mar 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Mar 18 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theate
Mar 19 – Portland, ME @ AURA
Mar 20 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s
Mar 21 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Mar 23 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Pierre’s
Mar 24 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
Mar 25 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
Mar 26 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave II
Mar 27 – Belvidere, IL @ The Apollo Theatre
Mar 29 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios
Mar 31 – Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
Apr 01 – Tacoma, WA @ Spanish Ballroom
Apr 02 – Portland, OR @ Roselan
Apr 03 – Reno, NV @ Virginia Street Brewhouse
Apr 04 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
Apr 05 – West Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A GoGo
Apr 06 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Marquee
Apr 07 – El Paso, TX @ The Rock House
Apr 08 – Dallas, TX @ Granada
Apr 09 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Apr 10 – Abilene, TX @ Abilene Convention Center
Dec 09-11 – Waregem, Belgium @ Waregemse Metal Days
(only Drowning Pool)
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