P.O.D. have been a band — and a vital one at that — for more than 30 years. But ask the members what still inspires them after all this time, and they’ll tell you they still operate as if they’re perpetual underdogs. Yes, with every new album they release, with every show they play, these musical lifers still feel they have something to prove. “We’re still here and we’re still creating some of the best music we’ve ever made,” says Curiel. “When it comes to heart, grit and soul, P.O.D. is your band.” Adds Sandoval, “We’re always still proving who we are — always having that punk-rock mentality.”
It’s this mindset, this unrelenting grit that has long defined the platinum-selling P.O.D. and continues to do so as they march proudly into the next era of their long-winding journey of a career. Now, nearly five years removed from their previous studio album, Circles, which to date has been streamed more than 50 million times and spawned the Top 25 hit “Listening to Silence,” the band returns in a major way with VERITAS, the eleventh P.O.D. LP and arguably their hardest-hitting record yet.
Lovers of all forms of music, P.O.D. have forever incorporated everything from rock to reggae, hip-hop to punk in their art. “We flirt with so many different styles,” offers Curiel. This go-round, however, P.O.D. decided to get back to the basics. “We made a conscious decision to keep it in the rock zone this time,” says Sandoval adding that there’s “a certain bounce and a certain two-step” to the 11 tracks that comprise the album. “These songs are a throwback to me and remind me of the raw unbridled energy of classic South San Diego P.O.D.,” offers Daniels.
Written over the course of several years, with the band typically writing a tune or two at a time in L.A. with The Heavy, Veritas is a cannon-shot of adrenaline to the ear drums. And for a band that has never shied away from wearing their heart on their sleeve, it’s also one of the most emotionally inspired albums of the band’s career.
The word VERITAS — which translates to “Truth” in Latin — defined the emotional core of the album, and the album art further encapsulates that message: to Curiel, the Veritas album cover, which pictures a child with its eyes blacked out, signifies “a culmination of innocence and dark hidden truths.
P.O.D.’s audience has always been at the core of everything the band does, and to that end, their live shows remain essential to who they are. They’ve played major festivals including the Sick New World, INKcarceration and Hell and Heaven Fest, and have shared stages with the likes of KORN, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Evanescence, and Seether.
Now, as they look to the future with VERITAS as their anchor, P.O.D. are nothing if not amped about where things go from here. Well, that, and extremely grateful. “30 years ago there wasn’t this end goal,” says Sandoval. “It was always about the next record, the next show, the next tour. We’ve always enjoyed where we’re at. We’re still hustling and we’re still working hard.”
