Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Drowning Pool’s Full Circle released on Tuesday to mixed reviews

By Pegasus News wire

Full Circle was released Tuesday and reviews are a bit mixed as to the quality of Drowning Pool's latest effort; some good, some bad, some indifferent. Find snippets of some online reviews below.

TuneLab Music: "Although it is great to see Drowning Pool trudging along after so many setbacks, one may begin to wonder after hearing 'Full Circle' a few times if this brand of lo-fi, acid washed slab of rock is all the obviously talented foursome has left in the tank. Yes, there are several tracks on 'Full Circle' that are some of the band's strongest, most matured and well-rounded material to date, but another chunk of the album's material may have one questioning their approach, as well as their intended direction."

Drowning Pool - Full Circle

Blistering.com: "Underscored by powerful melodies, ear-catching refrains and sensible song crafting, this album is a truly rock-solid effort. While “Full Circle” is not a reinvention of the wheel by any means, it is most certainly a welcome reinvention of Drowning Pool’s brash sonic identity."

Live-Metal.net: "There are a handful of the standard, up-temp Drowning Pool rockers (“Full Circle,” “Enemy,” “Shame,” “Soldiers”), but a number of songs show an emotional side and give off an Alice in Chains vibe (“Reborn,” “Reason I’m Alive,” “Paralyzed,” “37 Stitches”). McCombs’ versatility makes the shifts possible. Drummer Mike Luce, guitarist C.J. Pierce and bassist Stevie Benton are still getting to know their new singer musically, so I feel like the best is yet to come. Full Circle, which feels a lot closer in spirit to the Dave Williams-fronted Drowning Pool than the Gong Jones version ever did, is a good start."

Entertainmentopia.com: "It’s to be expected that the band would live and breath differently than it did when the “Bodies” hit the floor in 2001, but a lot has changed in music, and while change can be a doubled edged sword (see: Linkin Park), some level of re-inventing must be done to have you stand out in a crowd. Unfortunately, Drowning Pool doesn’t bring this reinvention to the table with Full Circle, but one can only hope the band will grow with a stable lead singer and a follow up release will show that maturing nature of the band and its music."

There are tons more reviews out there, but from a brief look, what I gather is that if Drowning Pool can come into their own with latest lead singer Ryan McCombs, the next album may have a chance. In the meantime it sounds like Full Circle leaves you wanting a bit more, but still hopeful.

Posted by Erin

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