P.O.D. SoCal Sessions Turns Down The Volume On The Hard Rock Quartet

P.O.D. hasn’t been on the mainstream radio circuit quite as much as some of their peers, but they are still putting out music, and pushing their message to the Warriors out there. If you’re a fan of the band, then you already know this. For those that haven’t heard from them in a while, you’re missing out. The band released an acoustic record called “SoCal Sessions” last year (2014), and it was funded through crowdsourcing. The band stripped down their best songs and turned out one of the best records I’ve heard from them in a long time.

I first heard of the band back when they were on Christian labels and they were not quite as poppy as they are now. With the release of their record, “Brown”, I thought that these guys were destined to remain underground for a long time. Things changed though, and upon the release of their major label debut, they turned out one of the best recording from a Christian hard rock group ever. That’s not just me talking, that’s the millions of people that invested in the debut of “Fundamental Elements of Southtown”, which put these guys on the mainstream map.

Fast forward to several lineup changes, many records released, and world tours later, the band is no longer on the top of the charts, but they have a massive fan base that paid out a lot of money for the band to get into the studio and create this record. The songs all sound fresh, inspired, and feels like the band is in your living room. Even on harder tracks that should be much louder, “Panic and Run”, the band finds a way to sooth the soul with their poignant lyrics and instrumental relationships.

“SoCal Sessions” is by far one of the best acoustic hard rock records I’ve ever heard. It’s on par with Nirvana “Unplugged”, and that’s a tall order. Sonny Sandoval’s vocals lend themselves so well to this type of music, and the band creates a sort of “praise” worthy music that is definitely the best thing that they’ve done in a long time. From the album art to the 12 tracks released here, you really feel as though the band is earnest in what they are doing. The release is now available through Universal, but initially this was a crowd funded option, and it has paid off tremendously, for fans, and casual listeners alike.

Pick up “SoCal Sessions”, and hear the band stripped down, in an acoustic setting. Get a catholic candle, light it, and turn down the lights. The boys in P.O.D. get really spiritual on this record, or so it seems. This is a top notch record, don’t miss out.

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