Isolated lines that don’t add up to much. “Follow” urges listeners to pursue truth (without defining it).
Frontman Dave Williams has the word “sinner” tattooed on his left hand (in light of the title track’s stern warning “don’t lecture me,” it’s a label he seems proud of). He lashes out at God unfairly, accusing the Lord of abandoning him in a time of need (“Sermon”). A blasphemous use of God’s name accompanies extreme selfishness on “Tear Away” (“I don’t care about anyone else but me”). Elsewhere, misery and hopelessness rule (“Pity,” “Reminded,” “Bodies”) while broken relationships lead to despondency (“Mute,” “All Over Me”) and profane verbal abuse (“Told You So”).
The guys in Drowning Pool struggle to tread water, all the while cursing the lifeguard. Thrashing about in murky, self-defeating shallowness, they disdain the loving God capable of rescuing them. While not as blatantly offensive as Korn or Slipknot, this band has a similar following among embittered teens. On “I Am,” Williams proclaims, “My sickness keeps me in control.” Maybe, but what will it do to confused adolescents already going down for the third time?
