P.O.D. is indeed enigmatic. Whereas their genre peers spew angst and rage, the San Diego boys of P.O.D. leave listeners charged up in a positive way. Never shirking their devout Judeo-Christian beliefs, their uplifting lyrics stand against thick walls of guitars and a barrage of percussion. After two independent releases, and 1999's "The Fundamental Elements of Southtown" the band again teamed up with producer Howard Benson (Sepultura, Motorhead, Less Than Jake, Body Count), and engineer Randy Staub (Metallica). In 1999 and 2000 with the help of their dedicated Warriors street team, P.O.D. catapulted into the limelight, and earned solid recognition for songs like "Southtown" and "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)." Radio play and heavy video rotations ensured continued popularity for the band that charted as high as #1 on Billboard’’s Heatseekers list. "Southtown" was awarded platinum status, and the band hit the road with Ozzfest, touring with bands like Staind and Linkin Park.

September 11, 2001, the darkest day our nation has seen, also unveiled a newer, and stronger P.O.D. The release date of this album will live in infamy as the day that terrorists attacked the east coast. Oddly appropriate, P.O.D.’’s new hit is titled "Alive." Encouraging lyrics juxtaposed against pummeling guitars and ear-splitting drumming create a new anthem for us to stand up against adversity and trust in love. The song "Ghetto" echoes similar sentiments with inspiring lyrics. "Don’’t give in to this hate within, living in this world of pain."

"Youth of the Nation" was written in response to student at Santana High School who killed two, and injured thirteen other students. Not unlike U2's "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," this song becomes a battle hymn. A pristine children’’s choir chants in the background, adding depth to the already soaring song about the troublesome teen years.

Guest stars include Jamaica’’s Eek-A-Mouse on "Ridiculous," Blindside’’s Christian Lindskog on "Anything Right," and HR from Bad Brains on "Without Jah, Nothing." The latter starts as a straight punk rock blitz, with annihilating drums, and screaming raw vocals. A midway breakdown, kicks in some rasta-reggae, and simmers down until it fades out.

P.O.D. has refined their blend of reggae, hardcore, rap and metal into an even tighter sound than we heard on "Southtown." Even for someone whose normal listening repertoire might not include nu-metal or hardcore, P.O.D. has such a magnetic appeal, and their aggressive musical style is exactly what is needed certain days of the week. They are proving that they are a consistent, maturing band who began their musical career long before their "peers" in bands like Limp Bizkit, et al. And by anyone’’s best guess, due to their ability to constantly embrace rock innovation and good song writing fundamentals and risks, P.O.D. will probably be around a lot longer.