Drowning Pool 'Hesistant' to Talk Lyrics Due to 'Cancel Culture'

Drowning Pool are back with a vengeance, as the Texas metal band is dropping their long-delayed album today (Sept. 30) called Strike a Nerve. Loudwire Weekends host Todd Fooks spoke with vocalist Jasen Moreno and guitarist CJ Pierce about how the band spent their time waiting for the record to come out and what fans can expect from it.

“We were abducted by aliens, we just got back,” jokes Pierce. But it’s humor born out of pain. Drowning Pool started crafting Strike a Nerve in 2017, went into the studio in 2019, completed the album, then bam!, pandemic. “We know some bands put out records during the pandemic, but we wanted to wait until the right place and right time. And here we are, man,” he adds.

Like a lot of musicians that couldn’t tour during COVID, Pierce and drummer Mike Luce took up real jobs. “Mike and I started doing electrical work again… It (was) the first time in 20 years that we haven’t toured or played music and that’s our livelihood.” Moreno adds, “I think I bitched every single day. Dude, I was miserable. I was happy for the downtime, and getting to reconnect with my family, but, there was a huge part of me that was frustrated… for being artistically constipated, if you will.”

With that in the rear view, Drowning Pool are excited for fans to hear their new work. Last month, they released their crushing new single “Mind Right.” Both Pierce and Moreno credit fellow Texans Pantera with the musical inspiration and vocal delivery for the song, but the lyrics are something different. It’s something that Moreno is keeping to himself.

“I’m hesitant to talk about the lyrical content. I’m being evasive because of cancel culture and all that. Let’s just say… it was one of those occasions where I wanted to speak my mind on certain political feelings (that I had). I really hesitate to use the band as a political platform to push my agendas, I really shy away from that. (But) I was really frustrated with the world I was seeing around me,” explains Moreno. He’s not the first rocker to be wary of the pitfalls of cancel culture. Both Shinedown and Falling in Reverse have railed against the the pressures of conforming to the status quo and how past quotes are used against people.

So you’ll have to make up your own “mind right” on what’s being talked about in the song. Hear it below along with Drowning Pool’s second single from Strike a Nerve, “A Devil More Damned.” You can see where Drowning Pool are going on the the “Strike a Nerve” Tour and buy tickets by clicking here. Check out their interview with Todd Fooks on Loudwire Weekends this Saturday night (Oct. 1) at 7PM ET by streaming it here.

Loudwire Weekends with Todd Fooks airs Saturday and Sunday nights starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.