P.O.D. - Testify

Genre rock Publisher Atlantic Records External Links Official Website Atlantic Records

Looking at the mainstream rock bands who received major radio airplay and top spots on the Billboard charts in the early 2000s is a prime indicator as to how quickly trends change. Between 2000 and 2001, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, and Creed had chart topping albums and the latter even won a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 2001 for "With Arms Wide Open." While a lot of these chart toppers have now faded, broken-up, broken-down, and filmed sex tapes (Fred Durst, Kid Rock, and Scott Stapp...eww), many of the bands who contributed to the rap-rock scene and haven't been universally deemed as jackasses still press on today.

Admittedly, I haven't dug mainstream rock in a while. In fact, that period in the early 2000s was instrumental in having me and many others walk away from mainstream rock radio. What's funny about the "success" of those aforementioned bands is that even though they were having massive hits on the charts, rock radio audiences were steadily dropping (as of 2005, ratings have declined by 20% since 1998) with many citing a lack of diversity in the playlists (i.e. Creed and Bizkit, all the time). Looking back with the benefit of five or six years of hindsight, I stared down P.O.D.'s new record Testify with the question "now, was it all really THAT bad? Admit it, you sort of thought that "Youth of the Nation" was pretty catchy." Fine, let's go.

In 2001, P.O.D.'s album Satellite hit a height of #6 on the Billboard 200 charts. With its sometimes reflective lyrics and the band's admitted spirituality (the group continues to top the Christian charts each time out), P.O.D. had a notable difference to nu-metal monstrosities like Limp Bizkit. Songs like "Alive" (hit #2 on the Modern Rock Charts) and "Youth of the Nation" seemed to be at least a smidge more thought-out than "Nookie," and the subtle infusion of reggae and hip-hop in singer Sonny's vocals gave some element of uniqueness among all their contemporaries. Yet that's where all the differences end. P.O.D. as a band still had that Pro-tooled metal guitar sound, and a lack of songwriting talent and imagination DID NOT make up for having such a stock guitar song.. Now five years later the band is back with Testify, but from the sound of this record most would think it was still 2001.

The name Glen Ballard evokes clean production to the highest degree. Yet what could not be anticipated from a man known for producing the likes of Michael Jackson, Alanis Morissette, and Paula Abdul would be to work with P.O.D. Maybe the group wanted more of a mainstream pop production and a change after using Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance) on their previous releases. Regardless of their intentions, the guitars and song writing have never sounded so generic, with the majority of the songs on Testify being at the very best repetitive and irritating at the very worst.

"When will we sing a new song? A new song?" intones lead singer Sonny on "Goodbye For Now," as if acting as a mind reader for those who wonder when P.O.D. will finally start to sound different. Songs like "Teachers," "Let You Down" and "Goodbye For Now" almost unbearably turn the angst up to 11 while others like "Mistakes and Glories" and "Mark My Words" near the end of the record do nothing but highlight how repetitive the guitar work is. What's worse is P.O.D.'s foray into gangsta rap with the song "On the Grind" which was co-written by Ballard, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. and P.O.D. with ye olde topics such as hustlin', shootin', and getting those platinum records: "And some of my people still shootin' until it's even/Some kill you just because, and I'll leave it at that/But I choose to use this mic to push these platinum plaques."

Despite the monotony of the record, there are two redeeming songs. "Roots In Stereo" and "Strength of My Life" are the clear standouts that capitalize on P.O.D.'s often professed love of bands like Bad Brains and infusing reggae elements into both the guitars and vocals. Another standout feature of these songs is that they are both co-written by up-and-coming Hassidic Jew rapper Matisyahu. The lack of both apparent and subtle angst in both of these tracks make it appear that Matisyahu's involvement made P.O.D. focus less on writing for angsty 14-year olds and instead focus more on their influences. "Lick a shot if you a mighty warrior/Lick a shot if you a freedom fighter/Lick a shot if you a true Souljah/Now dance your way back to Zion" sings Matisyahu on "Roots of Stereo," which stands head and shoulders above lyrics like "I'm so tired, I don't want to feel this way." While neither of these songs make up for the rest of the songs on the album, they clearly show that P.O.D.'s strength is to infuse more reggae into their sound in an effort to get away from nu-metal angst and antics.

With any genre's massive downsizing in popularity, survivors generally emerge to continue to have fairly lucrative careers while others gradually (and thankfully) die out. It is with mild interest to see who will rise out of rap-rock's ashes to keep slugging it out, and it looks as if P.O.D. may not be among them if they make another album like Testify. It should not be expected for a band to completely change its sound, but what cannot be excused is complete stagnation.