DROWNING POOL: 'We Are Not Looking For DAVE WILLIAMS II'

Since reconvening late last year, the surviving members of DROWNING POOL have written more than half a dozen instrumental songs, which drummer Mike Luce described to Rolling Stone as ranging from their heaviest material ever to a track that might be their lightest (tentatively titled "Pussy Control"). "The only thing that kept us positive was going back to what started it all, the three of us in a rehearsal room jamming," Luce said.

Prior to his death last August, DROWNING POOL frontman Dave Williams had participated in the tracking of three or four new songs with the group, material Luce said he doesn't think will ever be played live or released. "We laid that stuff to rest," he said. Two songs were fully completed, and included vocals from Williams. "There was a song we were calling 'Heroes', which is kind of eerie now," Luce says. "With all the people passing last year, Dave, [ex-OZZY OSBOURNE drummer] Randy Castillo, Layne Staley and Lisa Lopes, the lyrics about 'heroes passing' and how much people miss their fallen heroes are just too much."

Currently on the lookout for a replacement for Williams, DROWNING POOL are aware of the difficult task laying ahead of them. "The other day we got a tape from a guy who sounded so much like Dave it was eerie," Luce said. "It kind of freaked us out, and, it's not the guy's fault, but I don't know if we'll see him because of that. It was just too weird.

"We're not looking for Dave II," Luce continued. "That wouldn't be cool for us, Dave, his family or our fans. At the same time, we want somebody to step in and complete the circle. The guy will show up and be completely the right guy or he won't."

"It's not just, 'Can you sing the parts Dave sang?' but, 'Can you write new stuff and can you live on the bus with eight guys for eighteen months and not be a shithead?'"