To start your career during the 90s and create some alternative metal with rap all over it, experiencing turbulence of the new millennium and release 7 major albums does not seem easy. Obviously, P.O.D. do not have a choice. Not only that they don’t have a choice, they probably don’t know what else to do, which is why all the years in the business have got them to this place. They have big balls and they are not afraid to use them. What a reincarnation!
Everyone is probably going to remember their benchmark, album Satellite but The Awakening is hands down the best record of their career. Did it come in the wrong time? Maybe. The moment has passed for that genre? Maybe. But who gives a fuck??!
The very fact that they have decided to produce a conceptual album makes it brilliant. Narrative is about life decisions and mistakes of the main character Tim whose life misery is experienced through skits before and after each track. From groovish and powerful Am I Awake to the final farewell and finding love in mega-produced The Awakening. In between, everything is very well put together. This Goes To You is Alive of this era, Somebody’s Trying To Kill Me sounds like Korn’s continuation of Anything Right. Great music on Want It All somehow brings back Sinatra, Incubus drums and Easy Like Sunday Morning atmosphere. Criminal Conversations features Maria Brink from In This Moment who sings about her love problems.
While all of the previously mentioned songs sound strong, persuasive and powerful, the power triple of the album are Rise of the NOW, Speed Demon and Revolucion. Rise of the NOW plays with familiar themes of control, conspiracy, illuminati, masons, economy and god damn Big Brother. Gang vocals Staring Evil In The Eye!Are you ready for the rise of the New World order give everything a touch of deeper sense. Speed Demon is a fast paced octane moment in which the main protagonist speaks about downward spiral. The song itself is like a sequel to Snot’s Joy Ride. Hard core Revolucion is the fastest thing on the album, with gang screaming hey hey hey and Lou Koller from Sick of it All giving it remarkable label.
Altogether, this is an absolute surprise for two reasons. First – I never expected from P.O.D. to release something relevant in 2015. Second – this album is a mega banger bomb!!!
