Payable On Death |
Tobie DePauw |
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Payable On Death has had more than its fair share of obstacles in its eight-year history. Growing up in the southern-most section of San Diego was no easy task for Sonny, Wuv, Traa and Marcos. The members of P.O.D. have had to deal with many hardships, such as losing a parent to cancer and having a father who dealt drugs on a large scale. But the band members have had the strength to overcome these obstacles. They have not overcome the pains of life alone though, and that's what all the screaming is about on "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown," the band's first release on Atlantic Records. The members of P.O.D. have a message for the world, and they have a small army of faithful warriors who help them shout it out. It's a message molded from spiritual struggles and victories. When Wuv's drug-dealing father became a Christian, he brought it all home to his family. This changed the name of the game in the lives of P.O.D. It takes more to say what the band has to say on stage than any act in the world because this is the farthest thing from an act - this is reality. Let some parents choose by looks from a thousand bands that they want their kids listening to, and near the bottom of the list would be P.O.D. Tattoos, body piercing, dreadlocks and a look that would make any back-street boy wet his pants are misleading characteristics of P.O.D. If it were possible to get any more genuine than Sonny, Marcos, Traa and Wuv, they would all be your mother. They are family men. They are all someone's father, brother or son. Look closer at their tattoos. Images of Jesus Christ, trinities, sacred hearts, family and other introspective spiritual symbols depict tales of fighting a fight without fists. Since forming in 1992, Sonny (vocals), Wuv (drums), Marcos (guitar), and Traa (bass) have been touring like mad. Sonny is the most passionate front man you will see live. He will break down the hardest of men and lift up the weakest of souls. The category the band seems to conveniently fit into nowadays only exists because bands like P.O.D. have been moving people for years. P.O.D. sounded like this before the dough was even made for Limp Bizkit. MTV was not ready for P.O.D. The first video from the album for the song "Southtown" left kids across America crying for more. According to Joe Heden, the Atlantic Records college marketing representative for St. Louis, P.O.D. is in incredible demand in the area. "When I started promoting P.O.D., no one really cared about them. But now record stores can't get enough," Heden said. "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown" is P.O.D.'s fifth release. The first three albums were on Rescue Records, a label started by the band to express its do-it-yourself attitude. The last album, "The Warriors EP," was released on Tooth and Nail Records and featured a few tracks to be released again on "Fundamental Elements of Southtown." Getting signed to Atlantic Records was a well-deserved break for P.O.D. With a major label behind them, the boys of P.O.D. went to work in the studio and produced their best recorded release to date. The quality of the recording on this album played a large part in which songs were chosen. The music sounds more developed and complex than recordings in the past. The style, however, is pure P.O.D. It is a mix of hard-core, hip-hop, funk and even a dab of reggae. The music hits you like a punch in the face, but it carries a message with an even greater impact. The music and the message fuse to form life lessons in easy-to-swallow song form. See P.O.D. on tour with Sevendust, March 2, at Pop's in Sauget. P.O.D. is changing the way people see hard-core. P.O.D. is changing the way some people see altogether. | |
Hard-core music is about saying what needs to be said out loud and saying it loud enough for all to hear. It's about getting the word out despite any obstacle.