DROWNING POOL's C.J. PIERCE On Using A.I. To Write Music: 'I'm Definitely Against All That Stuff'

In a new interview with "The Seth Williams Show", DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. Asked if he personally hates A.I. as it relates to the creative process, Pierce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, yeah, man. I have my thing with it big time. I'm definitely against all that stuff, especially growing up in the '80s and stuff and watching 'Terminator' movies. I mean, it's right there in the fricking movie, okay? Hello. It's been laid out for you. Like, you think this ain't gonna happen, man? Plus it's the journey of learning stuff yourself."

He continued: "I guess I sound like an old person — I mean, I'm older now anyway — but the life experience, whether something good or something bad happens to you, and we all hate it when something bad happens, but you learn from it. And for me, something better has followed from it. And getting the answers yourself, man — it's nice to have the magic answer box, ' Hey, bro, what's this and that?' But to research yourself or experience yourself, don't deny that because of A.I. And especially creating music. I'm not gonna have somebody else write what I feel for me. That's nuts. To use that as a tool to help in a sense, maybe. I don't know how that works on that way 'cause I don't use it. And I've heard some [A.I.-generated] stuff, and it was cool and all, and I've heard it used in a fun kind of joke way. But seriously? I don't know."

This fall, DROWNING POOL and SALIVA will join forces for a special co-headlining U.S. tour celebrating the 25th anniversaries of their "Sinner" and "Every Six Seconds" albums, respectively. The trek will launch on October 8 and run through October 25.

Released in 2001, DROWNING POOL's debut album, "Sinner", became one of the defining heavy records of its era, propelled by timeless anthems including "Bodies", "Tear Away" and "Sinner". The album helped launch the band on to the global stage and remains a cornerstone of modern hard rock.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of "Sinner", DROWNING POOL will also bring an extremely limited run of 25th-anniversary "Sinner" vinyl to the tour. These are the final remaining copies available drawn from the band's own personal reserve after the anniversary pressing sold out online. The vinyl will be available exclusively at the merchandise booth while supplies last, giving fans one last opportunity to own a piece of "Sinner" history.

DROWNING POOL was formed in Dallas in 1996 by guitarist C.J. Pierce, drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton — originally as an instrumental trio. Three years later, with the addition of singer Dave Williams, the band solidified their signature blend of hard-hitting guitar riffs, searing drums, and moody lyricism. As a four-piece, the band found immediate success, and, after touring alongside the likes of SEVENDUST, KITTIE and (HED)P.E., they signed to Wind-up Records.

There, they entered the studio with producer Jay Baumgardner (SLIPKNOT, PAPA ROACH, GODSMACK) to work on their debut album. Focusing their songwriting around relationships and religion, the band found inspiration from the album's lively opener and title track, "Sinner".

Other highlights include the emotive "Tear Away", in which the band writes about the importance of leaving behind the noise of others and focusing inward. "All Over Me", meanwhile, explores themes of regret and struggling with guilt. On the other end of the spectrum, DROWNING POOL channel the cathartic intensity of the mosh pit in the anthemic "Bodies". Built around the pummeling, chant-ready refrain "Let the bodies hit the floor," the song transforms raw aggression into collective release and would go on to become one of the most recognizable and widely used tracks of the nu-metal era, a fixture in sports arenas, film, and gaming.

Upon its release in June 2001, "Sinner" made an instant impact, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and earning the band a platinum certification less than three months later. Driving the album's success was the platinum-certified lead single "Bodies", which landed in the Top 10 of Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and peaked at No.12 on the Alternative Airplay chart. The song was also a Top 40 hit in the U.K. and a No.3 hit on their Rock & Metal chart. Over the years, the song has appeared in a variety of films, TV shows and viral online moments, while it has been used regularly in professional wrestling, appearing across WWE, ECW and AEW programming. "Tear Away" (which hit the Top 40 of Billboard's Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts) and "Sinner" were also embraced by the wrestling community and used as theme songs by the WWE.

The album, and its songs, have also long been embraced by the press. AllMusic praised "Sinner" as "a welcome breath of fresh air in the midst of all the so-called 'hardcore' that is on the airwaves today. A strong starting piece, 'Sinner' shows DROWNING POOL's great potential." The U.K.'s Q magazine hailed the album as "The point where old and nu-metal meet. The impeccable riffs and uncompromising rhythms are perfectly balanced by Dave Williams's fashionably angst-full lyrics." Rolling Stone declared, "DROWNING POOL keep the energy high throughout 'Sinner'…. ['Bodies'] is DROWNING POOL's finest moment on the disc and may well provide another rallying cry for alienated new-metal fans this summer." In 2017, Spin ranked "Bodies" No. 12 on their 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs round-up, while "Sinner" was included on Metal Descent's 25 Best Alternative Metal Albums ranking.

Tragically, "Sinner" would mark Dave Williams's final album with DROWNING POOL, following his sudden death in August 2002 from heart disease. The following years would find DROWNING POOL continuing with several different vocalists, including Ryan McCombs (of SOIL) and Jasen Moreno. To date, the band has released a total of seven studio albums, including "Desensitized" (2004),"Drowning Pool" (2010) and, most recently in 2022, "Strike A Nerve". DROWNING POOL is currently working on its eighth studio album.

Press photo courtesy of O'Donnell Media Group