P.O.D. - Murdered Love (CD)
P.O.D.'s studio album MURDERED LOVE sees the bands original line-up consisting of Sonny Sandoval (Vocals), Wuv Bernardo (Drums), Marcos Curiel (Guitar) and Traa Daniels (Bass) rejuvenated on an 11-song collection that features some quartets most explosive material to date a sound that is both classic, and yet, completely re-invented in it's sonic sheen.
MURDERED LOVE includes multiple singles each continuing the positive, forward thinking message that colored the bands most memorable releases garnering them millions of fans.
REVIEW
A lengthy four years after When Angels & Serpents Dance, P.O.D. return with their eighth album, Murdered Love. It is also the second album to feature original guitarist Marcos Curiel since his departure following 2001's Satellite.
Although Satellite was a hugely successful album considered a masterpiece by many, it created a rather difficult situation for fans of the band. It was the fourth consecutive album with Marcos Curiel and the most well-received, and then he was replaced by Jason Truby for two albums. Satellite thus become high point to which P.O.D. fans will likely refer when judging future albums. On the one hand, that isn't totally unreasonable, but it is now rather unnecessary.
When Angels & Serpents Dance was something of a disappointment for fans wanting a triumphant, loud, and energetic return of Marcos Curiel. It was a mostly melancholy album bearing little resemblance to anything previously released by P.O.D. And there is thus a lot riding on Murdered Love, not to mention it being produced by Howard Benson, who was also at the helm of Satellite.
But Murdered Love doesn't sound anything like Satellite. After Testify, P.O.D. chose to play in a style largely resembling hard rock rather than alternative metal. This is most noticeable in the prevalence of chords over riffs and a less distorted sound. Also, P.O.D. no longer have anything to prove. They don't need to scream and shout the same way they did on tracks such as "Boom" and "Masterpiece Conspiracy." P.O.D. have long since defied all critics and continued to release high quality (as well as very diverse) albums for about 20 years. The clearest evidence of this is how relaxed they are on the track "West Coast Rock Steady," which would have undoubtedly been extremely heavy a decade ago. Now it's just a bunch of good friends rocking and relaxing.
The bottom line is that Murdered Love is the sound of an underdog band turned veteran. Sonny Sandoval sounds absolutely inspired on every track. The bass grooves and rocks, as do the drums, and the guitars provide substance and stylized seasoning (and the occasional solo). There are even a few keyboards thrown in for good measure. Tracks such as "Beautiful" and "Bad Boy" sound unlike anything P.O.D. have ever done before. Anybody who scorned When Angels & Serpents Dance will be eating their words when they hear the melodic singing throughout this album. P.O.D. are back in fine form, and Murdered Love is a great album that is best interpreted as a whole rather than as a collection of songs.
Highlights: "Murdered Love," "Lost in Forever," "Babylon the Murderer," "Panic and Run"
