
SOiL may be one of the best rock bands who didn’t make it to super-stardom. There’s always those bands we all love and cherish, who aren’t superstars and headlining the biggest festivals in the world- but we love them just as much. When original vocalist Ryan McCombs left to join Drowning Pool, there was a huge element that went missing.
When the news broke in 2011 that McCombs would be leaving Drowning Pool and rejoining his brothers in SOiL, all hell broke loose and the attention was all on SOiL and we were all watching and waiting to see if new material would surface.
Well, friends, on August 20, fans will finally have their first new SOiL record with the original lineup since
Redefine and it’s a hell of a record too. Seriously- you will freak when you hear it and bassist Tim King recently sat down with The Front Row Report to talk about the new lineup, new record and the excitement surrounding the reunion.
TFRR: Whole releases in the States on 8/20. How much time was spent on this record compared to previous studio efforts and how important was it with this record being the first with this lineup in years to make it stand out from the rest?
TK: We spent two months in Los Angeles recording this. It went by very smooth and easy. Compared to other albums, some took longer than others. This one was definitely the easiest to make in the SOiL history. We were very relaxed and just \”did our thing\”.
TFRR: This was the first record with Ryan since
Redefine, bringing back the core of the original lineup. How has the band dynamic chanced since the reunion in 2011?
TK: having Ryan back makes it feel like SOiL again. He was the voice of the band. It has really felt more energetic and exciting again.
TFRR: What was the deciding factor in Ryan rejoining SOiL?
TK: We originally just got back together to do a UK tour for the 10th anniversary of \”Scars\”, but we had so much fun and got along so well that we decided to make it a permanent situation.
TFRR: In fall 2011 you co-headlined with Puddle of Mudd. This was also the first tour reunited. Can you take me into the environment and mindset when you’re backstage and about to go on to play that first show?
TK: We were excited and nervous all at the same time. To top it off we filmed a live concert for DVD that night as well. No pressure!! HAHAHAH For me, I felt like it was my first show ever. I was so excited and nervous I could barely hold it in.
TFRR: Do you ever watch old live footage or the live DVD from last year? If so, what goes through your minds?
TK: It captures a great point in time. It just gives me that feeling of \”They\’re back!\”
TFRR: What was the writing process for
Whole compared to previous albums with this lineup? Was there any difference?
TK: For the first time ever we didn\’t do jam sessions. We put the whole album together on the computer. Me Adam and Ryan would sometimes sit in a room and work on stuff. Adam and I would write songs together. Adam would write songs on his own. I\’d send Adam riffs I was working on and have him throw them into the computer and program drums to them. Then we would get them to Ryan to write lyrics to. After we had enough material we went into the studio and demoed everything with a drum machine. Then sent that to Will Hunt (drums) and producer Ulrich Wild for final analysis and then we flew to Los Angeles and recorded the album. It was different for us, but worked perfectly for this album. We actually used technology for a change!
TFRR: When Ryan rejoined in 2011 was it already decided on it being a permanent move?
TK: Not at first but it developed into that.
TFRR: Where do you feel
Whole lies when it comes to the overall legacy of SOiL?
TK: I think it\’s the perfect album to fit right in between SCARS and REDEFINE.