Back when I was in highschool, the band Drowning Pool came out with their album "Sinner." I loved that album, both for the visceral nature of Dave William's lyrics and for the guitar work of the insanely talented (and grossly under-rated) C.J. Pierce. When Williams died, I was deeply saddened to say the least. Sinner was a good album, and I knew that no singer could EVER Williams' shoes.

When I heard "Step Up" as the ending credits for Thomas Jane's rendition of The Punisher movie a few years back, I thought it was a good song, but stylistically nothing like the Drowing Pool Williams had envisioned it to be; it was rowdy, raucus, and anxious to both start and finish something. Jason Jones did not have a unique voice in my mind; he was just another Phil Anselmo clone trying to make a name for himself (much the same way Scott Stap of Creed did by mimicking Eddie Vedder). His only shining moment on that album was "Love and War," even when After that, I pretty much gave up on the band.

And then I heard the song "37 Stitches."

I was taken by surprise to find that my other favorite band from highschool -- Soil -- had parted ways with singer Ryan McCombs on bad terms, as McCombs left to go lead a normal life for a year. When he came back, Soil had a new singer, so he searched around and found Drowning Pool in need of a new singer, and... I hated their very first radio single; "Soldiers." I wasn't even aware at the time that it was McCombs singing, I just knew in my heart of hearts that it was nothing more than jingoistic pandering to an audience and I hated it (mainly because the chorus would get stuck in my head for days). So whenever it came on the radio I just quickly changed the station or turned it off completely to save what remnants of sanity I still cling to.

But when I heard the song "37 Stitches," I knew right off who it was singing, and I thought it was a new Soil single. When the dj announced that it was actually Drowning pool, I thought, "what a perfect fucking fit!" If anybody could pull off the raw emotion and sheer rage of Dave Williams lent to the band, it was McCombs (in my mind). It's not the same as what it was, but... I think he'll do.

And with that, I happily bring you (albeit about a year after the song came out), the video for "37 Stitches."