SOIL Frontman And Stroke Survivor RYAN MCCOMBS: 'I Can't Drink Like A Fish Like I Used To'

SOIL frontman Ryan McCombs spoke to Rock Revolt magazine about the lifestyle changes he has had to make nearly three years after he suffered a stoke following the completion of a European tour.

“As far as anybody’s concerned, come showtime, it’s full steam ahead,” he said (hear audio below). “But the things that I’ve had to change are the things behind the scenes — things that you’re not gonna be aware of coming to a show. You might not even be aware of it if we ran into each other in a coffee shop before the show.

“I’ve got my medication that I have to take,” he continued. “I have to be smart about what I’m doing and what I’m doing to my body. I can’t drink like a fish like I used to.

“To be honest with you, after the stroke, I was very headstrong in making things better. But as time went, you start testing the boundaries. Next thing you know, I was back to drinking more regularly,” he admitted. “But since I got engaged here, I’ve got a fiancée… She’s a whole lot more serious about making sure that I’m around tomorrow than I let myself fall into. So I’m back to the whole regimen of doing what I need to to take care of myself and, after a show, hooking myself up to the heart monitor, making sure everything is working good and everything is doing what it’s supposed to.”

SOIL will release “Scream: The Essentials” on September 15 via Pavement Entertainment and AFM Records. Celebrating the band’s twenty-year career, this release features tracks from their humble beginnings, rise to fame, and also includes alternate versions and mixes.

A brand-new track, “Gimme Some Lovin'”, will be featured on the compilation and was recently released as a single and video. “Gimme Some Lovin'” originally made its onscreen debut in the cult classic motion picture “The Blues Brothers” in 1980. Being primarily a rhythm-and-blues-based song, SOIL took it upon themselves to add their own personal touch and bring the song into a modern 2017 hard rock element.

Other songs exclusive to this release include an acoustic version of the song “Can You Heal Me” from the album “Re.de.fine”. This version was recorded at Dimebag Darrell‘s home studio in 2004 after SOIL had completed a European tour with DAMAGEPLAN. At the helm were Sterling Whitfield engineering and Vinnie Paul Abbott producing the track.

Another special track on the album is a version of the song “Give It Up” that features the late Wayne Static from STATIC-X singing verses, choruses, and a bridge section in the song. This version leaked out to radio and met with some great underground success but was never properly released until now.

With the recent passing of Chris Cornell (an early influence on SOIL), the band decided to pay homage and add their version of the classic SOUNDGARDEN song “Rusty Cage” to the compilation. “Rusty Cage” was recorded in 2007 and previously only available on the band’s MySpace page.

SOIL will embark on a world tour in support of the new release throughout 2017 and 2018.