Will You Find Your Awakening?
SoCal hard-rockers P.O.D. recently released their ninth studio album, The Awakening. The band took a vastly different approach going against the modern-day process of album singles and single track listeners. Which appears to have brought Payable On Death to new heights, and give fans something unique.
To coincide with the release of The Awakening, P.O.D. recently finished up on the Marvelous Missing Link tour. Prior to the tour Sonny Sandoval (vocals) said they were asked to do a number of tours and they weeded through to see which ones they wanted to do. After many missed attempts, I finally got to see Payable On Death on the Dallas stop and again at Hallowicked. As a fan of their Brown album release, it brought things full circle.
“I didn’t want to do the same old tour. ICP has a built-in fan base and it’s definitely the opposite end, and that in a nutshell is the whole reason why I make music.”- Sonny Sandoval
The Awakening is not your typical album. It’s more of a story line of opposition through choices of the central character. Am I Awake is a statement opening track. The two-minute long introduction into the concept of the album sets the ground for a blistering chorus. This Goes Out To You, the first single that was released, is a throwback to earlier feel-good funk based tracks in a more overall heavy alternative rock album. However, still incorporating reggae elements which will be stuck in your head for hours. Rise of NWO strikes more of a resemblance to older P.O.D tracks. Especially with its harsh and aggressive hip-hop, taking the album to a different, darker tone.
Criminal Conversations featuring Maria Brink of In This Moment, who lends her angelic and mysterious vocals onto a rather mellow track, provides the album with chance to breathe before moving full throttle into Somebody’s Trying To Kill Me and Get Down, both offer heavy bass and dark aggressive vocals from Sonny Sandoval as the story-line takes a tumble for the worst.
Another guest Sick Of It All’s Lou Koller on Revolución is an excellent choice for a track that hits everything just right. This album is full of genre experimenting and P.O.D aren’t a band to shy away from mixing their music up. The track breaks down into an unanticipated reggae bridge before cutting back into the edgy, borderline hardcore instrumentals, making for an overall stand out track.
The Awakening is full of solid individual tracks but a meaningfully in-depth body of work from start to finish. Only a few bands pull off a great concept album, and any P.O.D fan should be extremely happy that even nine albums in are still going strong with this bold, bulky and expressive album.
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