P O D Testify CD

P.O.D.: Marcos (guitar); Wuv (drums).
Personnel: Jacken, Amy Terrin, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. (vocals); Joel Shearer (guitar); Suzie Katayama (cello); Glen Ballard (keyboards).
Additional personnel: Matisyahu, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E..
Audio Mixer: Chris Lord-Alge.
Recording information: Aerowave Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; John Phillips Estate, Palm Springs, CA; Signature Sound, San Diego, CA; The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA.
Photographers: John Rubeli; Bigness; Sir Chill; James Minchin; Kevin Estrada.
On its 2006 album, TESTIFY, the Christian nu-metal band P.O.D. gets back in touch with its rap roots, after largely abandoning them on '03's PAYABLE ON DEATH. Producer Glen Ballard (renowned for his work with Alanis Morissette and Aerosmith, among others) bolsters the group's already fierce and formidable sound, allowing the guitars and vocals, in particular, to jump out at listeners. Assisting the long-running ensemble are Hasidic reggae wunderkind Matisyahu (who lends his melodic toasting to the soaring "Roots in Stereo" and the Jah-centric "Strength of My Life") and the Samoan-American hip-hop crew Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. (who contribute bold rhymes to the surprisingly R&B/pop-inflected "On the Grind"). Although these tracks indicate that P.O.D. is willing to delve into various styles, the California-based band is at its best when offering up majestic heavy-metal, most notably "This Time," which stands as one of the group's finest anthems. Although the nu-metal boom had come and gone by the time of this release, P.O.D. proves that it can thrive outside of rock trends on this committed and compelling disc.
Whether it be the group's Christian ethos, ethnically diverse makeup, or reggae-sunsplash-meets-Ozfest vibe, P.O.D. has always retained a bit more respectability than their rap-rock peers. Even during the group's most "nu-metal" moments, they sound like they have at least heard Bad Brains' first three albums and probably dug them. Smartly, on their fifth studio album, Testify, the band continues to eschew such rap-rock gimmicks as ancillary use of turntables and cheesy samples, and instead delivers a mature and workmanlike metal monster-piece. Bright, loud, but always artful, Testify's glossy production comes via journeyman hitmaking producer and synthesizer master Glen Ballard. While P.O.D. has lost none of their rootsy funk metal swagger, Ballard -- the man behind such pop titans as Michael Jackson, Van Halen, and Alanis Morissette -- has found a way to give them an eminently palatable studio sheen that brings to mind a deft mix of the arena rock of Asia and the Police, as much as it does Sepultura. The move toward a more polished sound also pays dividends creatively, as guitarist Jason Truby, while not quite as forward-thinking as Audioslave's Tom Morello, nonetheless shines under Ballard's approach, delivering a truly inspired and technically brilliant performance. Similarly, vocalist Sonny seems reinvigorated and practically giddy on the lead-off track, "Roots in Stereo." Spiritually, the band is as concerned as ever with Jah, inner strength, and the "blood of God's veins," and if the melancholy single "Goodbye for Now" is any indication, they still have a few inner demons to wrestle with creatively. Luckily, though, they haven't forgotten the funk, and songs such as the head-snapping "Lights Out" and the Sabbath-esque "Sounds Like War" combine a bit of hip-hop fun with Bob Marley-inspired metal faith. Throw in a couple of serendipitous guest spots from Hasidic rapper Matisyahu and by the time you get to the devastating metal-reggae album closer, "Mark My Words," you've got a band reborn. ~ Matt CollarEntertainment Weekly (p.70) - "[W]hen the darkly inspirational rap-rockers morph into reggae-rockers, they become their own men."