A Win for Fans New and Old Posted May 15, 2024 By RyanAdams_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know Veritas is the eleventh studio record from rock legends P.O.D. "Veritas" translates to truth in Latin, something defining to the album's heart. The album art signifies a "culmination of innocence and dark hidden truths," by the band. After around 30 years, P.O.D. continues to rock their fanbase and perform strong.
What It Sounds Like
P.O.D. is known for their punk-rock and rap genres blended together. Veritas is no exception, but it certainly leans more heavily on the hard rock side of things. Some guest vocalists provide harsher vocals than lead singer Sonny Sandoval can typically provide. But their rhyming, hip-hop core is never lost, often weaving in anthemic choruses with the high tempo verses.
Spiritual Highlights
The Christian faith that Sonny and some band members hold near and dear has always shown in their music, from early days with Southtown to now Veritas. A few songs that highlight their faith and hope in music include songs like "I Got That," which proclaims that "I got that inhale, exhale life that you breathe/But since the world so fake only a few of you will." It's a harsh truth that Christians have hope to share but not all will welcome it.
One of the lead singles, "Afraid to Die," is spiritually deep. It is an declaration of eternal hope that "We ain't afraid to die/if the world is gonna end/you know that I'm bringing all my friends." This highlights our collective hope in eternity. The song also explores some of Sonny's personal testimony.
Best Song
The singles such as "Afraid to Die," "Drop," and "I Won't Bow Down" are certainly standouts. "Afraid To Die" is an impressive display of classic P.O.D.'s influences while introducing modern elements for a unique song reminiscent of "Youth of the Nation." But maybe the best song, a hidden gem, is "This Is My Life."
"This Is My Life" feels like authentic P.O.D., with southern California roots evident. The upbeat, popping rhythm is infectious and refuses to get out of your head. The songwriting also caught my attention, unashamed of embracing faith in our lives. The chorus embraces the shortness of our lives on earth with, "here and this is my life/here and gone away." Elsewhere, the guest vocalist Cove Reber, shouts, "we living One Love, One Way/and I don't care what the people say." I hope we can all claim that truth for ourselves as proudly as P.O.D. does.
Final Word
After what has felt like, in my opinion, a few experimental albums, P.O.D. reinfuses hard rock into their unique blend of music genres to create a powerful record that instantly stands tall among their discography. Veritas has some of the heaviest moments, musically and vocally, in recent years, and it is a change for the better. If you haven't given P.O.D. a listen for a long while, you should. I think Veritas will win over old fans and earn new fans.
