Editing Superdrag (section)

===Arena Rock Recording Company years (2000–2003)===
By 2000, they had taken on a new bassist, Sam Powers, and released their third full-length album, ''[[In the Valley of Dying Stars]]'', as produced by long-time friend [[Nick Raskulinecz]] with help from Don Coffey Jr, who was beginning to show a keen interest in life on the other side of the glass. ''In the Valley of Dying Stars'' is by far the most emotional and raw of all of their albums; and, musically, in stark contrast to ''Head Trip'''s diverse instrumentation, ''Dying Stars'' kept to the standard rock format: guitar, drums, bass. The emotional core of ''Dying Stars'' emanates from the death of Davis's grandfather (his namesake), to whom John had been very close and had admired dearly. Davis' feelings on the record industry also emerged in songs such as "Keep it Close to Me":

<blockquote>I want rock and roll, but I don't want to deal with the hassle. I know what I know, but I don't want to feel like an asshole.</blockquote>

With the absence of a major label or producer to influence their sound—although Raskulinecz was originally committed to the project, he had just signed on to produce an album for Foo Fighters in Los Angeles—Superdrag continued to evolve at their own pace, and in 2002 ''[[Last Call for Vitriol]]'' once again redefined the band's sound. Some of the songs moved toward a heavier, more alternative sound, while others were of pure Americana influence. Brandon Fisher had left the band prior to the release of ''In the Valley of Dying Stars'', and Mic Harrison had eventually taken his place, adding a much more Americana feel to the guitar style.  Prior to Harrison's arrival, guitarist [[William Tyler (musician)|William Tyler]] toured with the band.