Review Summary: Drowning Pool's newest vocalist marks a much more repetitive but enjoyable approach.
Drowning Pool, so many things about this band have changed since their first (and perhaps best release) Sinner. After parting ways with Ryan McCombs the band needed to yet again find another vocalist, which as always makes a slight difference to the bands approach to the music they end up creating. Jason Moreno, the new vocalist for the band that seems like it'll always be stuck between old, mainstream and new metal, has marked a much more focused approach to the mixture of metal styles they have been known for, which also makes listening to it an occasional drag.
First things first, the sound of the album itself is decent, it's just Drowning Pool didn't put much variety into the overall structure of some songs. This isn't always a bad thing, for fans of the genre will be pleased, but after the 7th track, it starts to make the album drag and the bands effort is drowned as a result because the only thing I could really think about was how much longer the album had to go. An example of how much similar the songs sound are simply seen in the singles. Anytime Anyplace features a simple 'Verse, Chorus, Verse Chorus, Bridge, Solo, Chorus' Formula and One Finger and A Fist doesn't change this formula one bit, Saturday Night is basically the same, but missing the solo's that 7 of the other songs on this album have, which are usually short but pretty entertaining.
As for Jason's vocals, he does a great job with a heavier vocal style making the album sound like a mix of old and new metal elements, such as the amount and heaviness of his screams that modern heavy metal seems to be attaching itself to. He really does help keep it all grounded, but much like the musicianship of the album, it gets boring hearing the same vocal style in almost every song, and with a lot of the songs being sung in similar styles it makes you wish the band would try and tone themselves down for more then the standout anthem "Bleed With You."
Resilience isn't a bad album, fans of modern heavy metal will most likely be pleased with this release, but if you're expecting another 'Sinner' You're most likely going to be disappointed, those days seem to be long gone for Drowning Pool as they set out for a much more mainstream and processed approach.
Standout Tracks
Anytime Anyplace
Life Of Misery
Bleed With You
