P.O.D. – “Veritas” – The Metal Resource

24 December, 2024 thrashboy 0 Comments 1 category

When will nu-metal no longer be “nu?” This often maligned genre (from this metalhead’s perspective) became popular in the late 90s into the early 00s only to meet its eventual decline due to an over-saturated market. Only the best and bravest survived. For me, nu-metal represented what the “cool” kids wanted in metal, but now that it has fallen from grace and is just another genre, the bands who remain are the best suppliers of the intersection of rap, hip-hop, and metal. Christian band P.O.D. is one of those survivors.

Formed in 1992 in San Diego, Payable On Death (P.O.D.) has been one of the great luminaries of the nu-metal genre rising to great popularity in the early 00s with their breakout album “Satellite” in 2001. The longest consistent lineup has Sonny Sandoval on mic, Marco Curiel on guitar, Traa Daniels on bass, and Wuv Bernardo on drums. In 2021, Wuv announced his hiatus due to strain from touring for the past several decades. P.O.D. has made it clear that the drum seat is his if and when he returns. For the album’s recording, Robin Diaz stepped in on drums in Wuv’s absence.

“Veritas” demonstrates a P.O.D. that knows their strengths, delivering a varied 11-song album running at a trim 35 minutes. The hallmark rap, anthems, and grooving rhythms that P.O.D. brought decades earlier are still front and center, bringing with them the same underdog attitude they have clung to through their career. It is a solid album with infectious songs that may come by a little quick, but are easy enough to listen to over and over again.

The album opens with a bang with “Drop” which features Randy Blyth (Lamb of God). The song is aimed to stir up the crowd with its aggressive vocals and repetitive lyrics, bolstered by a heavy low end that rattles the chest. For me, it is somewhat disorienting without familiar melodic and harmonic underpinnings with an emphasis on rhythm and sounds with a sinister grit. Melody is somewhat narrowly applied to recurring motifs similar to rap and hip-hop. There is pervading microtonal slides and shifts that are inherent in rap vocal performance that connect the music together. It is not a familiar musical language for me, but it is nonetheless engaging.

“I Got That” is the next track on the album and lands a very infectious groove. The chromatic guitar riff is very effective in supporting the bravado in Sonny’s delivery. “Not Afraid To Die” is an optimistic song that juxtaposes the attitude in Sonny’s rap delivery and an anthemic chorus that hearkens back to “Youth of a Nation” from “Satellite.” The message stands in defiance against the world that preaches this life is all that we have. Then comes a hardcore blitz in “Dead Right” which has shades of Demon Hunter.

It is apparent that P.O.D. deliver a good mix of songs that will appeal to a wide audience. There are aggressive songs and even some softer songs in “Lay Me Down (Roo’s Song)” and “Lies We Tell Ourselves” that create a great balanced sound through the album. I particularly like the punk style and message in the song “This is My Life” which features Cove Reber (Saosin). Due to the song lengths, the songs are infectious and addictive, presenting more like ear candy than a song you can sink your teeth into. The exception being “Breaking” which is a complex mix of hardcore, rap, and melody with ambient episodes.

The struggling underdog ethos of the band is prevalent in the lyrics that flow with optimism. The lyrics are surprisingly profound that belie the swagger, beckoning a reading to get the full depth. The lyrics have scriptural allusions sprinkled about, but presented in a way that the secular market won’t balk. In fact, in light of COVID and its aftermath, their message shows a solidarity with all people, making it potentially a greater Christian witness than preaching from the mic.

For years I have avoided more popular bands and the fads that come and go. Nu-metal and its ilk is in that camp and so I never really paid attention. However, “Veritas” opened my eyes to this as art. Impressionism is to graffiti as Claude Monet is to P.O.D. – it is all art and I am coming to appreciate it absent a stigma of being popular. “Veritas” is a great release from P.O.D., probably their best since their breakout years and well worth the cost for those who have a taste for their Southtown groove.

Rating: 9.0/10

Written by Sean Bailey

Tracklist
1 – Drop (feat. Randy Blythe)
2 – I Got That
3 – Not Afraid To Die (feat. Tatiana Shmayluk)
4 – Dead Right
5 – Breaking
6 – Lay Me Down (Roo’s Song)
7 – I Won’t Bow Down
8 – This is My Life (feat. Cove Reber)
9 – Lies We Tell Ourselves
10 – We Are One (Our Struggle)
11 – Feeling Strange

P.O.D. is:
Sonny Sandoval – vocals
Traa Daniels – bass
Marcos Curiel – guitars
Robin Diaz – drums

Release Date: May 3, 2024

Record Label: Mascot Records

Discography:
Snuff The Punk (1993)
Brown (1996)
The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (1999)
Satellite (2001)
Payable On Death (2003)
Testify (2006)
When Angels & Serpents Dance (2008)
Murdered Love (2012)
The Awakening (2015) [review]
Circles (2018)
Veritas (2024)

Social Media: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

Video for Drop