May 2024 is more than halfway over. That means before long the current year will be almost halfway over. So far this year, a number of acts have released albums that have earned a spot among the best of the best in various categories. That is especially the case in the realm of hard rock and metal. From Static-X to Accept to Judas Priest and Firewind to Kryptos, this year’s current field of new hard rock and metal albums has already proven quite impressive to say the least. Early this month, P.O.D. (Payable on Death) made an interesting case for addition to that list with the release of its latest album, Veritas. The band’s 11th album, this 11-song (go figure, the band’s 11th album has 11 songs. One has to wonder if that was intentional) record is a mostly positive offering from the nu-metal act that first made it big in 1999 with its third album, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. That is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike, which do not necessarily break a lot of new ground for the band but are still engaging and entertaining for the band’s established audience because of that familiarity and accessibility that results from said familiarity. One of the songs that serves to prove that argument comes late in the record in the form it its single, ‘I Won’t Bow Down.’ This song will be discussed shortly. ‘Dead Right,’ which comes early in the record’s 34-minute run time, also helps serve that argument. It will be addressed a little later. ‘This Is My Life,’ another non-single that also comes late in the album, is one more example of that familiarity and accessibility. When it is considered alongside the other noted tracks and that whole is considered alongside ethe rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Veritas a record that is truthfully nothing groundbreaking but still enjoyable.
Veritas, the latest album from P.O.D., is an interesting new offering from the veteran nu-metal outfit. It is a presentation that the band’s established audiences will find mostly engaging and entertaining. This is proven through its musical and lyrical content alike, as is proven in part through ‘I Won’t Bow Down.’ One of the album’s five (yes, five) total singles, ‘I Won’t Bow Down’ stands out musically because while the band’s familiar nu-metal leanings are there, there is something different. Front man Sonny Sandoval’s distinct percussive rapping style in the verses and the use of the electronics therein give the arrangement more of a modern feel. His delivery style specifically sounds like so much of the tight, rhythmic style of so many of today’s top rappers. That, contrasted with the more melodic choruses, helps to further established the song’s musical identity. Just as interesting is the song’s bridge, which itself does in fact harken back to older sounds from the band’s catalog in its own way. The whole makes the song’s overall arrangement its own point of interest. It leaves no wonder why the song was chosen as one of the album’s singles.
The fire in the song’s lyrical presentation pairs with the heaviness in the arrangement to make for even more interest. That is because of the familiar theme of defiance and perseverance delivered therein. Sandoval delivers that message, saying, “Don’t wait/Don’t hesitate/Beter speak the truth/Let it resonate/And let it detonate/And get blown away/’Til you keep all bodies to a higher place/Can’t stop/Won’t stop/Don’t stop coming ‘til we hit the top/Gotta keep pushing/’Til the day I make it/Since they won’t give it to me/Then I gots to take it/The pain today is power tomorrow/Keep on coming/But you’ll never catch me running/’Cause I won’t bow down/No matter what they say/I wouldn’t do it any other way/Keep on coming/But you’ll never catch me running/’Cause I won’t bow down.” Again, this message of defiance is anything but new to the rock (and music) world, but it is delivered so simply here that it makes it fully accessible, and in turn shows all the more what makes this song key to the overall success of Veritas.
Another song that shows the strength of Veritas is one of the few songs not made into a single (at least not yet), ‘Dead Right.’ Musically speaking, the song stand out because while it also makes the band’s nu-metal leanings prevalent, too, it also presents some heavier leaning, too. This is in its own way, a trademark from the band that has been noticeable in much of the band’s catalog. That evolution of the heaviness in the band’s musical content, that is. The heaviness and richness of the whole makes the song its own favorite for audiences.
The fire exuded in the song’s musical arrangement pairs well with the frustration exhibited in the song’s lyrical theme, which itself addresses the divisions in the world today. More specifically, it addresses how everyone wants to think that they are right and everyone else is wrong, this creating that division. This is inferred as Sandoval raps in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Dead right/Disillusioned by your foolish pride/Intoxicated with self/Leaving you blind/I’m dead right/Killing everything on sight/A massacre with these words/Just like I said/Right?/Why are you/Why are you so dead/Why are you/Why are you so dead right?” He continues in the song’s second verse, “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind/Eye for an eye/Everybody’s dead right.” This sarcastic, almost cynical statement that everybody is right is telling in its simple presentation. Everybody really is right in their own “eye.” When one gives an eye for an eye because everyone believes they are right, it really does leave the world blind, figuratively speaking. This is an interesting way to approach an all too familiar topic. He further adds, “Dead right/It’s your room/And it’s the only view/Just ‘cause you’re speaking the truth/Don’t really make it true/We’re dead right/But what really makes us qualified? /I hear you talking/But I want to hear you tell me why/Why are you/Why are you so dead/Why are you/Why are you so dead right?” This is that statement of people only seeing their own views, being in their own “rooms” (rooms being metaphor for their own little worlds). It asks what makes us qualified to talk on anything if we are using the same talking points about things that maybe we know little of. Again, the overall statement here is delivered in relatively accessible fashion and in turn makes it resonate loudly with listeners. That fire in the message pairs with the energy in the song’s musical arrangement to make this song another example of what Veritas has to offer audiences.
‘This Is My Life’ is one more example of how Veritas’ musical and lyrical content collectively make it worth hearing. Another of the songs not yet turned into one of the album’s singles, its musical arrangement takes audiences way back to the days when P.O.D. first became a household name. The heavy guitar line and Sandoval’s half-sung/half-rapped delivery is right there with so much of what made P.O.D. so big early on when it made its mainstream breakthrough. Interestingly enough, one can also make comparison with this song’s arrangement to songs featured in Project 86’s 2000 album, Drawing Black Lines, which was released less than a year after P.O.D.’s The Fundamental Elements of Southtown (seven months to be exact). That is sure to add to the song’s appeal, given that Project 86, like P.O.D. has traditionally been marketed as a Christian rock outfit.
The familiarity of that musical approach ties in with the song’s equally hard hitting lyrical theme to make the whole one more example of what makes Veritas in whole worth hearing. The message in this song’s lyrical theme in question is that of making the most of our lives. This is inferred as Sandoval sings, “You get one life, one chance/So you better take it slow/And by the way/May I have this dance/We sound too good just to let it go/We hang around for some better days/Yeah/’Cause seasons change/At least that’s what the preacher says/So it’s OK if we ain’t OK/We’ll make it through/’Cause there’s a better way/Don’t waste your time being unhappy/You only get one life to live/’Cause if you don’t/Then they’ll take it away/I make my life/Life what it is.” Again here is that overall message of appreciating life; reminding one’s self that even as bad as things may get, “there’s a better way.” Sandoval reminds listeners that “it’s OK if we ain’t OK.” This is a reminder that so many people need every day. Such a strong message of mental health delivered in such a simple, subtle way is to be commended. That is because it avoids the level of being preachy. Late in the chorus’ reprise, Sandoval adds, “Don’t waste your time being angry/You only get one life to live/’Cause if you don’t know/Then they’ll take it away/Look at me now/I won’t ever quit.” Just like he won’t quit, then we as audiences and people should not quit, either. We should not waste time being angry. We should make the best of every day (again). Once more, this is a familiar message but is just as welcome here as in any other band’s case. When the uplifting message here is delivered alongside the band’s powerful musical arrangement, the whole makes the song one more example of what makes Veritas another positive offering from P.O.D. When this song and the others examined here are considered alongside the rest of the album’s entries, the whole therein makes Veritas another welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums that is sure to appeal to any of the band’s established audiences.
Veritas, the 11th album from P.O.D., is another largely positive offering from the veteran nu-metal outfit. The record’s success comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements are of note because of their familiarity for the noted audiences. From the sounds that made the band a household name early on to its current sounds, the band spans the spectrum throughout the album’s musical content. The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements add to the appeal because of their own familiarity and accessibility. The uplifting themes that are sure to get audiences thinking once again pair with the musical arrangements to add even more push to the record. All three of the songs examined here help to make that clear. When they are considered alongside the rest of the album’s entries, the whole makes Veritas another welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
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