Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner, was certified platinum within six months and the video for its first single "Bodies" was frequently aired on various music video channels. After the September 11th attacks, "Bodies" was infrequently heard on many radio stations as there were concerns regarding its appropriateness in light of the 9/11 victims who had jumped from the towers. On August 14, 2002, the band's lead singer Dave Williams was found dead inside his tour bus. The autopsy concluded that he suffered from a form of heart disease.

When asked if the band has any unreleased new material, Benton commented that "There are none. All the unreleased songs are out in either some soundtracks or compilations. We didn't get a chance to record any new songs before Dave's death". After Williams' death, the band decided to carry on and begin searching for a new singer. In 2003, the band found Williams' replacement in Jason 'Gong' Jones, and released the album Desensitized in 2004. The album was not as successful as Sinner, and most fans complained about the absence of Willams' vocal style, which apparently was not present with Jones'.