When talking about Drowning Pool, this inevitably leads to a short retrospection. In the last few years of the past century and the first ones of this one, the neo-metal scene was in its apogee. Along bands that established themselves and grew big, the ones that went lost along the way, and others that continue to make their kind of music in spite of everything, two very strong bands appeared - Soil and Drowning Pool, who have gathered speed, but something in the rush have tripped them up. The combination of explosive and aggressive rock’n’roll with the devices of the then modern metal bear fruit to Soil only with their second and third albums, but after this they parted ways with the emblematic vocalist Ryan McCombs. Drowning Pool, o the other hand, recorded a debut album that threw them straight in the charts with hits like “Bodies” and “Tear Away”. Then they remained without a singer, too, as Dave Williams left this world due to a heart attack. After such a heavy impact the rest of the boys decided to go forward. In 2004, with the former tattooist Jason Jones on the microphone, they released “Desensitized” that offered not bad neo-metal, but didn’t reach a wide public and Jones was out. So in June 2005 - now by accident, now by fortune - destiny brought together the orphaned in mean of singer Drowning Pool with the left without a band Ryan McCombs. For the first time this line-up showed itself in the soundtrack to “Saw 3” with the song “No More” and left the fans waiting impatiently for an album, whose birth date is August 7, 2007... Obviously, the blonde frontman has brought the energetic rock of its old band to the modern sounding metal of his new colleagues, so you won’t hear almost any neo-metal in this CD. With the opening title track the so typical for the old Soil dynamic rock’n’roll grabs you and makes you jump around the room. The tendency is kept during the whole album - C.J. Pierce belches forth varied and hard riffs and rough melodies, Stevie Benton and Mike Luce push constantly the tough rhythm, while Ryan opens this throat and outshouts with the loudspeakers. Just hear the infectious “Enemy”, sink in the crazy rhythm of “Upside Down” and load yourself with a kicking dose of adrenaline with “Shame”. Along the hard songs, the guys show they can make great lyrical music as well. “Reborn” is an epic tribute in memory of Dave Williams, with nice solos and southern whiff from Anselmo’s Down, the pseudoballad “Reason I’m Alive” passes from tenders in the spirit of early Skid Row to the hard and modern sound of Drowning Pool and back again, and “37 Stitches” is a beautiful confession with a nostalgic melody and emotionally sung lyrics. To put it short, the voice of Ryan has such a potent rock’n’roll load that it can wet a frigid old spinster! Everything written so far has been stated from the position of deranged fan of McCombs, and it won’t be bad to have that in mind. However, no matter how much a fan of his I am, I cannot close my eyes for the faults in the CD. And there are such here - both in general and in single moments. As a whole, the album does not offer anything revolutionary, innovative or that technical in musical aspect. At first look it sounds a bit monotonous, be it sincere, but with more hearings the hit charge and the dynamic modern rock of the songs begin to grab you somehow. Another weak moment is the mediocre “Soldiers”. Some time ago the American soldiers in Iraq inspired themselves during missions with the already mentioned “Bodies”, and obviously Drowning Pool have decided this time to dedicate a song to them purposefully and... This is the most undeviating, naïve and dull track in the record. Except for these few factors, we have contemporary direct rock, garnished here and there with good lyrical compositions and an insane cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” as a dessert. I like the menu. And I am glad that this summer I will listen to 13 new tracks from the throat of Ryan. Will it be okay with you, too? Listen up and you will see.