Drowning Pool Lead Singer Ryan McCombs Leaves Band

Dallas metal band Drowning Pool has parted ways with its singer, Ryan McCombs. McCombs was the third singer to work with the band since it released its debut record, Sinner, in 2001. Original singer, Dave Williams, was found dead on a tour bus in 2002, apparently from a form of heart disease, according to a medical examiner. Jason “Gong” Jones replaced Williams for one album, 2004’s Desensitized, before McCombs came into the fold in 2005. The band released the following statement via a press release on its Facebook page posted yesterday:

“We have always been a band who has gained success despite having multiple singers…maybe we suffer from reverse ‘lead singer’s disease,” said C.J. Pierce. “Changing things up has not always been easy, but the band has become re-energized time and time again. We are looking to find a new singer who will give both us and, and [sic] most importantly our fans, the new adrenaline shot they deserve.” He went on to say, “We do wish Ryan great success in his future endeavors.” McCombs, who had been part of the band since 2006, replaced singer Jason Jones, who joined Drowning Pool following the tragic passing of Dave Williams.

Drowning Pool rose to prominence in 2001 as a result of touring with the Ozzfest tour of that year, as well the release of the debut album Sinner. That album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and is usually considered the band’s most successful record. The album has gone on to sell over 1 million copies, due in part to the success of “Bodies,” one of the band’s best-known songs. The song reached number six on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and was the band’s highest charting single until 2008’s “37 Stitches” broke the top five.