Drowning Pool and Saliva

The band was formed in 1996 by guitarist C. J. Pierce and drummer Mike Luce, who were later joined by bassist Stevie Benton. Citing a range of influences on their music, including Metallica, Anthrax, Slipknot, Alice in Chains, SOil, AC/DC and Pantera, Drowning Pool performed as an instrumental trio until 1999 when they recruited vocalist Dave Williams. The band quickly found fame after playing with Ozzy Osbourne during Ozzfest and released their debut album “Sinner” in June 2001, which features the band’s most well-known song, “Bodies”.

The album went platinum within an astonishing six weeks, however their fortune took a retrograde turn when singer Williams was found dead inside his tour bus. He sadly died from a heart condition which had been undiagnosed until after his death. The band decided to continue after William’s death and recruited Jason Jones in 2003. The vocalist recorded just one album “Desensitized” (2004) then subsequently left the band in 2005, due to “musical differences”.

In 2005, Ryan McCombs, formerly of metal band SOil was announced as Drowning Pool’s new vocalist. The band had originally wanted him to replace Dave Williams. Their third album, “Full Circle” was released in August 2007, after signing a new record deal with Eleven Seven Music and changing to a new management company. They toured with Sick Puppies and Seether in support of the album. A self-titled fourth album was also released in April 2010. Unfortunately, McCombs announced that he was leaving the band to rejoin his previous band SOil for a tour and new album, again leaving Drowning Pool without a singer.

Undeterred, the band continued writing for their fifth album and began auditioning for a new vocalist. Current vocalist Jasen Moreno, from The Suicide Hook, joined the band in 2012 and made his debut in 2013 on “Resilience” – an apt title for a band that has battled through misfortune and remained together despite it all. On the 10th anniversary of Dave Williams’ death, the band released a song in tribute of him titled “In Memory Of…”, the first to feature Moreno’s vocals.

Saliva’s first critical success was their final-round placement in the Grammy Showcase Competition, which saw them perform in New York and pick up a considerable initial fan base. Soon after this achievement, Saliva self-released their debut album, “Saliva”, which helped them catch the attention of Island Records and eventually won them a record deal.

Signed to Island Records, the band released their second album, “Every Six Seconds” in 2001. The album placed at number 56 on the Billboard 200, winning the group considerable attention and the single “Your Disease” placed at number three on the Mainstream Rock Chart in the US.

In 2002 Saliva had their first top 20 album with the release of “Back Into Your System”. The commercial success of the album was helped significantly by the success of singles “Always” and “Rest In Pieces” written by Nikki Sixx and James Michael. The band’s fame increased further after being asked to tour with KISS and Aerosmith in 2003.

Saliva’s next two albums “Survival of the Sickest” and “Blood Stained Love Story” were both top 20 hits, but the band’s subsequent albums failed to generate the same success for the group. In 2011 lead vocalist Josey Scott left the group to pursue a solo career and since then the band has been pursuing a new direction with Bobby Amaru singing lead vocals.

Over the years Saliva has toured with the likes of Sevendust, Pop Evil, Aranda and Royal Bliss in addition to KISS and Aerosmith. In 2002 Saliva was nominated for a Grammy Award for their performance of “Your Disease”.