P.O.D.: Veritas
P.O.D.’s last album Circles was released in 2019, and before that The Awakening in 2015, so we were about due for some new material from the boys from Southtown. Inevitably, any new material from Sonny, Marcos, and Traa (Wuv is on a sabbatical) is going to be compared to Satellite, where they were at peak form. So, the question is posed- how does Veritas rank in their discography? Not to give away the farm, but it’s great stuff. The band seems to have tapped into that mojo that brought Satellite to the top of the charts. The band has a very varied following- their fans are not just fans of metal, but nu metal, hip hop, alt rock, and even reggae. Thus hitting a bullseye for all those fans is that much harder, than- say- dialing in a great metal album. The album’s title Veritas, meaning truth and its frequent theme of not being afraid are just what the Divine Physician has ordered for these turbulent times, but album art of a disheveled blond kid with his/her eyes burned out (and more of the same inside the liner notes) begs explanation.
The album opens with a firecracker “Drop” featuring Randy Blythe from Lamb of God that will get the crowd moving, proclaiming that “if you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.” “I Got That” is the album’s standout track- perfectly showcasing Sonny’s hip hop swagger over a heavy bottom end, some eerie quasi-Cinderella guitar tones and heavy breathing on the chorus, and the confession “I ain’t never scared.” The band would name their tour the I Got That tour. “Afraid to Die” is the kind of “Youth of a Nation” anthem that has the crowd shouting along “We ain’t afraid to die!” “Dead Right” is an intuitive analysis of today’s society. When we can’t disagree with each other civilly anymore “an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” “Breaking” features lots of changes in intensity. “No one could ever serve two masters.” “Lay Me Down (Roo’s Song)” is a heavy rocker with a singable melodic chorus. “I Won’t Bow Down” starts with “the top of every mountain is the bottom of another” for a perfect mashup of hip hop and metal, courtesy of Sonny’s boxer swagger. “This is My Life” teaches us to make the most of our lives in true hard music fashion. “So it’s ok if we ain’t ok. We’ll make it through cuz there’s a better way.” “Lies We Tell Ourselves” sounds like it could have charted on hard alt rock radio in the 90’s. “We Are One (Our Struggle)” is another classic P.O.D. anthem reminding us that “Tomorrow isn’t promised so today we’re coming up.” The album closer is “Feeling Strange,” another song with changes in intensity and a commentary on society, leaving the listener with “eyes on the sky.” The album is bookended by a recording of a female voice reciting something including the word veritas.
Not to knock the band’s last few albums, but Veritas is easily their best album in the two decades plus since the height of their fame. Don’t write P.O.D. off yet. Making a masterpiece isn’t capturing lightning in a bottle, but sometimes it happens when an album perfectly captures the time of its release- a zeitgeist. Not to wax philosophical here. Could Veritas be that zeitgeist? Only time will tell. My wife and youngest son caught the band’s tour at our local club and enjoyed it. Every other singer is using a wireless mic, but instead Sonny uses the heaviest red cord he can find and uses it like a stage prop, prowling around the stage, cracking the mic cord like a whip. Our interview request was denied by the band’s management. (Mascot Records) – 4 out of 5 stars.
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