P O D Fundamental Elements Of Southtown CD

UK-only two CD set, an installment in the popular 2-for-1 series, which combines two hit albums into one convenient package. The 2-for-1 series is perfect for fans looking to complete their collections and for music lovers searching for something more than just a standard 'hits' package. Universal. 2009.

P.O.D: Sonny (vocals); Marcos (guitar); Traa (bass); Wuv (drums).
Additional personnel: Howard Benson (keyboards); Santos (percussion); DJ Circa (turntables); Lisa Papineau (background vocals).
Recorded at The Gallery, Sherman Oaks, California; Sparky Dark, Calabassas, California; Mates, NoHo, California.
With their full-length debut, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, POD (Payable on Death) shows considerable promise, crafting an album that flows from aggressive rap-metal to trippy, Beastie-styled reggae dub excursions. It may be all over the map, but give the group credit for trying a bunch of styles and pulling most of them off. At times, they sound too derivative -- when they rock really hard, they sound too much like a Christian Rage Against the Machine -- but there's energy here and the roots of a distinctive sound, all of which are necessary for a strong debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
During the late '90s, as Korn and Limp Bizkit became mainstream artists, it was more difficult for live hip-hop/hard-rock bands to gain recognition. P.O.D. formed in 1992, taking a cue from bands such as Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. by using live guitar, bass, and drums in the place of a D.J. for its intense rap music. After many years of touring as a support act and several independent releases, P.O.D.'s major-label debut, THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SOUTHTOWN was everything that the group's growing fanbase could have hoped for.
In "Southtown," a smooth melodic breakdown escalates to a level of intensity usually reserved for bands as heavy as Pantera. "Rock the Party" and "Lie Down" contrast old-school scratches and programmed drums with instrumentally acoustic verses and Tom Morello-influenced guitar effects. An updated take on U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" shows how well the song lends itself to a rap interpretation. "Tribal" and "Freestyle" find P.O.D. exploring some progressive territory, a refreshing departure from the overused atonal approach of many contemporaneous rap/metal bands. From the band's humble Southtown beginnings to its earning of a national following, P.O.D.'s do-it-yourself approach to success has proven to be a reflection of their fundamentally honest music.

Q (7/00, p.122) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Good stuff....a strange mix of disparate sounds and styles: metal riffs, rap, hip-hop, reggae and spiritually aware lyrics...reflecting the diversity of the individual band members' musical influences..."