Finally, 11:30 came and Drowning Pool took to the stage. Drowning Pool is touring in support of their third release, and featuring their third singer, second following the untimely death of Dave Williams. Their set was comprised primarily of tracks off Sinner and the new one, Full Circle. One, lone song from Desensitized made it to the list, "Step Up," which is probably the only memorable tune from that release. Over the course of the three albums, the sound has changed, with current vocalist, Ryan McCombs, likely the biggest cause for this change. Still, their sound is based on heavy, catchy riffs which are great for turning up and rocking out too, and the live setting is perfect for this.

True to form, the music was load, catchy, and heavy. My head was banging along with the rest of the wild crowd. They opened with "Sinner" before moving into a pair of new cuts. I have to admit to not being all that familiar with the newer songs, although I have to say that McCombs has an intriguing voice. He may not have a great range, but he imbues the songs with strong emotion and it sounds quite good. However, while McCombs sounds good, he does sound a bit weird singing the older songs. Dave Williams has a unique voice and delivery style that is not easily mimicked.

In the end, it was a strong night of rock and metal. While none of the bands truly excited me, there is no denying that they were a blast live. I can be a sucker for live music, and an energetic stage presence can go a long way to making my night enjoyable, even if I don't want to revisit their music afterward. This line-up is one that is well worth seeing live, if for nothing else, the ease with which you can sink into their heavy sounds and just rock the night away.