P.O.D.

Payable on Death are not your typical Christian band. Born of Sam Diego's rapcore scene, the band quietly climbed the musical ladder through pure reputation. The band played thousands of shows and released a number of independent releases before recording their major label debut, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. The disc ultimately sold enough copies to place it amongst the certified platinum ranks. Satellite continues to explore the spiritual side of this band, and although the lyrical messages in songs like the first single, "Alive," are positive, the band balances its words with slamming guitar work and a solid rhythm section, and it is "Youth of the Nation," with its passionate cry and nicely placed youth choir vocals, which gels this record. The disc is rounded out with reggae and jazz-influenced tracks that scratch beyond P.O.D.'s surface. The band is settling nicely into their place in modern rock music with this sophomore effort.