Drowning Pool includes: Jason "Gong" Jones (vocals). When Drowning Pool lead singer Dave Williams was found dead on the group's tour bus in 2002, fans and critics alike assumed that the remaining members would call it a day. Fortunately, bassist Stevie Benton, drummer Mike Luce, and guitarist C.J. Pierce regrouped with new vocalist Jason "Gong" Jones and delivered this fierce sophomore disc. Jones's vocal style is markedly different than that of his predecessor, but no less effective. In fact, the new singer's deep, Layne Staley-meets-Phil Anselmo shouting is a near-perfect match for the hooky, highly rhythmic riffs that are Drowning Pool's stock-in-trade. On alternative-rock-leaning tracks such as "Step Up" and "Bringing Me Down," Jones proves he can carry a melody with the best of them, often sounding like a tougher Dave Grohl or Bob Mould. A testament to the group's strength in the face of adversity, DESENSITIZED rocks with the intensity of men who have seen the dark side and returned to tell about it.
