Rap-rock is dead, and P.O.D. knows it. On the group’s third major-label release, Payable On Death, the San Diego quartet tries to abandon its rap-rock roots and branch out in more melodic directions. Similar experiments by groups like Papa Roach and Adema failed miserably, with each group seeing a huge drop-off in sales from its previous releases.
P.O.D. also understands that shelling out $18, $15, or even $10 for a CD is as bad a rip-off as Wes Scantlin aping Kurt Cobain’s growl.
In recognition of the absurd price of CDs, P.O.D. made its latest so full of extras that purchasing the album would actually be worth it. Payable On Death is packaged with a Playstation 2 demo of the game “Amplitude,” a low-res affair that plays like “Space Harrier” meets “Dance Dance Revolution.” In it, players manipulate their controls to string together a beat that forms a remix. However basic it may be, the game is oddly addicting.
Also included on the second disc is a 50-minute look into the behind-the-scenes life and culture of P.O.D., and the audio CD includes some short video clips and a link to download a couple tracks. Not bad for $10.
As for the music, Payable On Death catches P.O.D. in the midst of transition, as guitarist Jason Truby fills in for the departed Marcos Curiel, founding guitarist of P.O.D. Curiel left the band after expressing concern that the group’s spiritual message was in direct conflict with the members’ partying and extracurricular activities.
Whatever the case, Payable On Death is P.O.D.’s best work to date and, although inconsistent, establishes Truby as P.O.D.’s soulmate and a solid replacement for Curiel.
Truby wastes no time establishing his presence in the primitive album opener, “Wildfire,” a riff-heavy rocker that features Sandoval offering almost animalistic verses before shifting into a swinging chorus that is heavy on melody and rap-free.
“Will You,” is among P.O.D.’s best singles and a step forward from the work on the group’s last album, Satellite — notably the singles “Alive” and the almost-nauseating “Youth of the Nation.” A bit less disposable than the band’s previous hits, “Will You” was a gamble from the start but seems to have paid off, as Payable On Death currently charts at No. 9 on the Billboard 200.
Whether the remainder of Payable On Death will help the album stick around for longer than three weeks is debatable, but a January tour with Linkin Park will certainly allow the group to tap into the vast Linkin Park network of fans and give both groups a boost in the sales department.
“Find My Way” stomps about the speakers with all the tenacity of Black-era Metallica, finding a comfortable bass groove before kick-starting back into a steady rhythm that punctuates possibly the heaviest song on Payable On Death.
“Revolution” finds P.O.D. reverting back to the tone of its last few albums, but Truby’s guitar work is just good enough to keep listeners interested. Some other tracks fall flat, most notably “I and Identify,” which was constructed solely for the enjoyment of meatheads in black hoodies to thrash about at live performances. The song is boring, regressive and a B-side at best.
“Asthma” sounds promising at its start but quickly evaporates into a stutter that loses the essence of the notes that form the intro of the song. The instrumental “Eternal” is an excellent spotlight on Truby’s accomplished guitar work. His tone recalls instrumental work from the Stone Temple Pilots and serves as an appropriate finish to an album that is an important moment in P.O.D.’s career.
Not quite rap-free in 2003, P.O.D. has pieced together its best album to date, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. With guitarist Jason Truby on board, the group certainly has the opportunity to make an album that is excellent from start to finish, but Payable On Death is not that album.
Grade: B/C
