P.O.D. burst on the mainstream scene in 1999 as part of the rap/rock revolution that began in the late ‘90s, soared in the early 2000s, and is still desperately clinging to life now in 2012. They have always contributed to the heavier side of this genre among other acts such as Linkin Park (QRO album review) and Limp Bizkit, and have shown us that there is apparently something special about California as after thirteen years they are still singing about their native San Diego, or as they refer to it, "Southtown". In that regard, not much has changed with P.O.D. They are still tackling spiritual issues that fall in line with the faith they have collectively professed as a band since their early days back in 1994.
Their new album Murdered Love reunites them with producer Howard Benson whom they haven’t worked with since 2003 with the release of Payable On Death, and is their first release on famed independent record label Razor & Tie, which is also home to the likes of The Sword (QRO live review) and Twisted Sister, among others. Murdered Love sounds similar to that release in that it presents a more straight rock sound as opposed to albums past that were very heavily influenced by reggae and hip-hop genres.
One surprise present on this album is that P.O.D. try their hand at a ballad with the song "Beautiful". They gained fame with slower songs in the past with tracks like "Youth of the Nation" from 2001’s Satellite, but with "Beautiful" they explore the more traditional ballad elements. Even though the song tells the story of a troubled youth, it sounds a bit more romantic.
Murdered Love will spark controversy with the last song "I Am". Longtime P.O.D. listeners will be surprised to hear that it contains words that P.O.D. don’t normally say. It’s no secret that they are a band composed of men who are followers of Jesus; they have been open about that from day one. So "I Am" has everything to do with that theme, but it looks at it from the perspective of a person who knows nothing about that way of life. Regardless of where one may stand on that particular issue, P.O.D. should be commended for being so forward and unapologetic in their beliefs.
Overall, P.O.D. lose points with this release for failing to change up their style and for having cheesy lyrics such as, "And girl, I’m looking for a love that’s true / Not some other hoe to do" on the song "Bad Boy", and they gain points for standing up for what they believe in with possibly more conviction than they have ever had. What does that leave listeners with? A record that will please and possibly shock longtime P.O.D. fans, and to the rest of the general listening public there isn’t much to write home about.
MP3 Stream: "Bad Boy"
