The band was named after the film The Drowning Pool. Since its formation, the band has consisted of guitarist C.J. Pierce, bassist Stevie Benton and drummer Mike Luce, as well as a revolving cast of vocalists. The band’s current vocalist is Jasen Moreno.

After the release of their debut album, Sinner (2001), original vocalist Dave Williams was found dead on August 14, 2002 from heart disease. Jason Jones, who replaced Williams in 2003, recorded one album, Desensitized (2004), but left in 2005 due to musical differences. Ryan McCombs of Chicago-based heavy metal band SOiL later replaced Jones and released two albums, Full Circle (2007) and Drowning Pool (2010), making it the first time Drowning Pool had not switched singers after only one album. However, McCombs left the band in 2011 to rejoin SOiL. Jasen Moreno was announced as McCombs’ replacement in 2012 and the band went on to release Resilience in 2013, followed three years later by Hellelujah.