P.O.D.
When Angels & Serpents Dance
Ino/Columbia
It’s been four years since rap metal outfit P.O.D. has put out any new material. Life has brought them a new maturity, softened them a bit, and brought them to a point where they can boldly slow things down and even break out the acoustic guitar at times.
When Angels & Serpents Dance begins a new chapter in the world of P.O.D. For one, it marks the reunion with original guitarist Marcos Curiel, who had had been fired back in 2001. The details surrounding Curiel’s initial ejection are unclear, though most fingers point to management at the band’s then label, Atlantic Records. Take a quick glance up an inch or two, and you’ll find that the band’s new release is on Ino/Columbia, so it seems as though there may be some truth to that claim.
The new P.O.D. is not the one I channel-surfed over back in the days when they could call Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park peers. There’s less rap these days, and that which is there is more in the vein of the reggae-flavored 311 style. They’ve got the heavy songs to satisfy the metal fans, “God Forbid” featuring Helmet’s Paide Hamilton for one. Other notable tracks include the Cypress Hill inspired “Kaliforn-Eye-A,” featuring Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies, the Caribbean craze of “I’ll Be Ready,” and a Red Hot Chili Peppers sounding “It Can’t Rain Everyday.”
P.O.D.: http://www.payableondeath.com
