At 47, I am too old to review P.O.D.’s Greatest Hits album — or so my 20-year-old daughter told me after I pronounced it “pod.”
Apparently, it’s pronounced like an acronym, she said. And being the writer, and the dad, I know that it IS an acronym (for Payable On Death, by the way). But I can be forgiven — it’s not like these guys are ever played on Christian radio. In fact, Audio Adrenaline is about the toughest group played there — and that should tell you a lot about the state of CCM radio.
But I reviewed P.O.D.’s Greatest Hits because I have always had a curiosity about music and I’d never listened to anything that qualifies as driving metal, hip-hop, tribal, and reggae-influenced spiritual rock. I’m convinced there’s not a lot of groups operating in that genre.
And, you know what? My daughter’s right — this is not my kind of music. But even though I may not choose to listen to Greatest Hits often, I can still say that this is great music — and we haven’t even touched on the lyrics yet.
This collection represents P.O.D.’s Atlantic Records years (1999 to 2006), containing tracks from their four major label releases: The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown (1999); Satellite (2001); Payable On Death (2003); and Testify (2006). For collectors there are also two unreleased tracks, “Going In Blind,” recorded for this collection, and “Here We Go,” an outtake from Testify.
Most modern heavy metal bands drown themselves in misery and angst. P.O.D. is different. Scope these lyrics from “Alive,” a cut from Satellite: “Every day is a new day / I’m thankful for every breath I take / I won’t take it for granted / So I learn from my mistakes / It’s beyond my control, sometimes it’s best to let go / Whatever happens in this lifetime / So I trust in love / You have given me peace of mind / I feel so alive for the very first time.”
P.O.D. is a band that offers an optimistic alternative in the musical style many young people prefer to listen to. But, hold on, correct that. P.O.D. is not an alternative – they are a player in the genre. And one to watch.
This collection of songs, coming as it does on the heels of Testify, could be an encapsulation of P.O.D. and where the group has been before their next disc takes them in a new direction. Or, maybe not, since the band recently announced that original guitarist Marcos Curiel was returning to the band after leaving a few years ago over spiritual differences.
So, perhaps Greatest Hits is merely a time to catch their breath before P.O.D. tears into the new year and a new album. Stay tuned, Warriors.
