DROWNING POOL’S SEASIDE DAY OUT

LIVE REVIEW | DROWNING POOL w/ Spineshank, HED PE | Foundry, Torquay | 18th November 2025 by Ollie Hayman

After a rough start to their UK leg of tour, playing their first gig in Bradford with a 4am finish time, the long-standing Drowning Pool bring Spineshank and HED PE to Torbay’s finest seaside town, Torquay. We were there to capture all three bands as they rocked the 1000-capacity Foundry, who have been focus of some incredible gigs in recent times.

HED PE

Hed PE fuse an incredible range of genres into their self-proclaimed ‘G-Punk’ style – mixing hip-hop and reggae with metal and punk, it creates this incredible sound which makes you constantly debate who influences them. Most similar to Rage Against The Machine, with their heavy focus on political lyrics, songs such as ‘Only In Amerika‘ is a proper showcase of what they’re about.

Spineshank

Spineshank being the co-headliners on this tour worked incredibly well for the tour. After having reunited for a one-off festival date, they’ve come back with a bang, recording new music, as well as touring themselves as well as getting on this date with Drowning Pool. Their industrial metal sound worked perfectly with the headliners as well as Hed PE’s sound, getting the crowd well and truly warmed up, and them loving their set. They’ll be back in the UK for Download in 2026 – so don’t miss them if you’re there!

Drowning Pool

After what can only be described as a well-lived career for all members of Drowning Pool, the band playing small venues across the UK is a testament to the sort of people they are. They could for sure sell out larger venues, but playing the smaller, intimate sets where the true connections with fans can truly be felt. Ever since their debut EP ‘Sinner’, they’ve had a whole host of vocalists, for different reasons – but it seems like they’ve truly settled on Ryan McCombs of SOiL for now. His stage presence is truly something to admire in him. He’s in his 50s now, but performing like he’s back in his 20s, which for such a long standing band is something truly wonderful to see. Performing songs he didn’t even write like they were his own is a proper show of the sort of frontman McCombs is – with best known song ‘Bodies’ closing their incredible set, and their incredible time on the UK’s South West coast.