Twenty-five years after the release of Sinner, Drowning Pool are celebrating the album that launched them into metal history and, according to guitarist CJ Pierce, revisiting those songs has unexpectedly sparked a fresh wave of inspiration.
Speaking with Metal On Tap, Pierce admitted the anniversary has forced the band to look back more than they normally would.
“It doesn’t feel that long ago, man. We keep rolling and going with the flow, but these last few months have been a lot of reflecting. Going back to that mindset and that style from back in the day has been inspirational.”
Playing Sinner In Full
Fans attending the anniversary shows can expect every track from the album to make an appearance, although not necessarily in sequence.
“We’ll play all the songs off the Sinner record. Absolutely,” Pierce confirmed.
The band have even been revisiting old setlists from the original tour and are discussing deeper cuts that haven’t been played in decades, including favourites like “Follow”, “I Am”, “Told You So”, and “All Over Me.”
Pierce also hinted that bonus tracks such as “Break You” and even the Rob Zombie collaboration “The Man Without Fear” could finally receive live outings.
The Lasting Legacy of “Bodies”
Naturally, the conversation turned to the iconic “Bodies”, which recently found new life during AEW’s chaotic Anarchy in the Arena match.
“We wrote this song naturally, just having some beers and rocking out. To have it on TV, in movies and soundtracks all these years later, it’s awesome. I can’t wait to play it live every night because that intensity and build-up is amazing.”
WrestleMania, Triple H, and Lemmy’s Blessing
Pierce also recalled Drowning Pool’s connection with professional wrestling, including performing at WrestleMania X8 and recording their own version of Triple H’s entrance theme “The Game.”
Before doing so, he made sure to get approval from Motörhead legend Lemmy Kilmister.
“I literally went to the Rainbow Room and asked Lemmy if it was okay. He just said, ‘Yeah man, have fun with it.’ That was awesome.”
Revisiting Sinner Has Sparked New Material
While Drowning Pool have released standalone songs over the past few years, Pierce revealed that returning to the chemistry that created Sinner has reignited the creative process.
“We’ve been writing a whole bunch of riffs. We went into the room with songs ready to go and didn’t touch any of them. We just wrote random stuff on the fly and the energy was so high. I feel like we’ve really come back to home base.”
He added that longtime collaborator Shawn Nagata and a younger producer named Elliot are helping blend classic Drowning Pool energy with modern influences.
Australia In Their Sights For 2027
Australian fans may not have to wait too long for another visit.
Following the band’s hugely successful 2025 tour with Alien Ant Farm, Pierce revealed discussions are already underway for a return.
“Hopefully January or February of ’27. We definitely plan on coming back to Australia. We had such a great time last time. My wife and I love it there. Everybody’s so cool and the rock shows were some of the best ever.”
With Sinner celebrating its silver anniversary and a new creative spark flowing through the band, Drowning Pool appear determined to honour their past while laying the groundwork for the next chapter.
