P.O.D - Satellite (2001) [MP3]

P.O.D. is a Christian nu-metal band that mixes the elements of hard-hitting guitar riffs and drumming with hip-hop verses thrown in the blend with a great Christian theme. Ironically, Satellite was released on 9/11 (I'm NOT joking).

The album starts off with the heavy-hitting Set It Off. The track kicks in right off the top with a good blend of intense drumming and a crazy riff. This is a heavy song, and, without a doubt, is nu-metal. If this song is nu-metal, then there must be screaming (don't you agree?) So that's what P.O.D. delivers in the chorus. It features Sonny yelling "RISE! RISE!" and "SET IT OFF!". Awesome basslines laid down in this track, and the same goes with the drumlines Wuv performs. The verses in the track are good too. They are what P.O.D. does best - hip-hop, and the ending is an awesome mix of intensity and lyrics.

The single off of this album, Alive, picks up directly off of where 'Set It Off' left. Opening with a catchy guitar riff, and then leading into Sonny's great vocals, it's evident why this song was released as a single. The chorus is very emotional, talking about how he feels "So ALIVE! For the very first TIME!". The tone and background vocals make the chorus great, and the bridge is the same way, with a few echoes in the background, and then a emotional rap line delivered by Sonny. Marcos really shows his stuff in this song, with a catchy riff and awesome background work. This song is heavy, but not as heavy as Set It Off, so there is screaming in this song (and that's a good thing.)

The incredibly motivational Boom comes up next. The song opens with yet again another catchy riff. The band goes into full blast when Sonny lets off a short "WUHSHA!", which lets you know that this is a more upbeat, motivational song. I'm not 100% sure what it's about, but it is definately on the 'rising star' line. The guitar muting in the background is excellent, with Marcos playing the opening riff, except it's muted. The chorus is what makes this song excel, however. The lyrics are mind-blowing in the "wow-that-sounds-sweet" sense. Everyone yells "BOOM!" after Sonny raps a few words. This song gets you pumped up and headbanging, and could possibly be the best song on the album.

Youth of the Nation follows. This song slows down the pace a little, but not so much its like an acoustic track smack in the middle of a Slipknot album. The first impression on this song is usually "okaaaaaaaay...", since it starts off with a recording from what sounds like a busy playground or a schoolyard at recess. The song then breaks out into a low-tuned, creepy bass intro put down by Traa, and then Wuv comes in, playing a great drum roll that flows into a great drumline. The song is very emotional, talking about the losses and deaths various children have gone through, and the chorus talks about how "We are, we are... youth of the nation!" The best part about this song is the emotional ending. P.O.D. used a great idea - "if this song is about the youth, then why not get the youth to sing it?" That's just what they do, and it sounds really good with the children singing the moving chorus, and then P.O.D. going back to singing it themselves with additional background vocals.

Celestial is nothing. It's just a 1:24 filler instrumental. I think it's just there to speed up the tempo of the album, since the title track, Satellite, follows. The song opens with a punk-like guitar riff (yes, it's catchy). The song itself is also very punk-like for P.O.D.. The verses are really effective in the track, with the guitar coming in three-guitars through it. The verses are good too, with Sonny yelling "SATELLITE!". The track is strong, and the flow keeps going along great with this track, and the tempo flows perfectly - it's faster than Youth of the Nation but slower than Boom, Alive, and Set It Off.

Ridiculous starts out, well, ridiculously. This song features Eek-A-Mouse, so I guess their singer sings something in a different language. The song is a little faster than Satellite, amd is a weird mix of rap, Carribian, and slow guitar lines. I thought this track was really weak, and broke the flow of great tracks (excluding Celestial). It was just too weird for my taste of music.

The Messenjah speeds things up with a killer riff and angry vocals. The song is a lot like Set It Off. It has the same tempo, and has the motivational chorus of Boom thrown in the mix. The background vocals are where the anger comes from. This is a complete revival from Ridiculous. The song is heavy, angry, and fun to listen too. The song begins to pick up the albums tempo. The closing is a little weak, but the incredible chorus makes up for that small flaw. Overall, The Messenjah is one of the best tracks on the album, and, like Boom, will get you pumped up for the remainder of Satellite.

Guitarras de Amor is filler. Its just guitar sampling with no vocals except for a barely hearable chant in the background.

When Anything Right starts, you may think that your CD player skipped back to Alive. Don't worry, it didn't. The repeated guitar riff doesn't leave a good general impression on the song, and the abrupt halt after about 10 seconds doesn't either. The verse is somewhat boy band-ish - very space age and emotional. That all stops when the harsh chorus comes in, with Sonny screaming "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT!". I didn't necessarily like this song much, since it doens't blend fast and slow very well. Also, the midpoint of the song drones on for a bit, and bores you. Anything Right was a dissappointmenr in my opinion.

The next track, Ghetto, unravels with a slow guitar sample and emotional lyrics (I believe this world believes in love...). The opening is somewhat unrelated to the song's title, but the bridge hits you like a hurricane, with more angry vocals (THE WORLD IS A GHETTO!). The song was also pretty weak in my opinion, but it delivers an icredible message - we should just agree to disagree.

Masterpiece Conspiracy is a sweet song. Very metal-ish, and very angry, it opens with a echoed note, then goes into a well rapped verse, about a conspiracy with a virus of some sorts. I'm not sure that's exactly what it's about, but the song is fun to listen to, just like The Messenjah. The verses are very well done, and the chorus is angry again, with more elements of nu-metal. Masterpiece Conspiracy is a very good song to listen too, and actually quite motivational, just like Boom.

Without Jah, Nothin' is pretty much raw anger put into a song at the start. Sonny, screams random stuff. (The lyrics aren't listed in the CD book). Without Jah, Nothin' is a weaker track, and sounds a lot like Ridiculous a little later into the song, with Jamaican steel drums and weird guitar effects. The song is repetitive and boring. Without Jah, Nothin' is probably the worst song on the album, and a huge dissappointment for the amazing intro. This track is definately skippable.

Thinking About Forever starts out like Ridiculous, but then quickly reverts into an acoustic piece. The verses are very boy band-ish, with a lot of space age effects. The song carries very emotional lyrics, and is a much slower song than the rest of the album. The song is also dissappointing. The acoustic piece just doesn't goe with the whole album, and is really a bore.

Portrait starts off with a catchy, complex guitar riff, and then leads off into a heavy, nu-metal-ish verse, with pretty much all screaming. The song is fast, heart-pounding, and heavy. Portrait is a lot of fun to listen to, with its headbang-worthy it is without a doubt the heaviest song on the album (even if it slows down in the end). The closer track slows down about 3/4 through the song, and then speeds up into more heaviness. It's a great way to close a great album.

Overall, Satellite is highly recommended for anyone who likes metal or rap. A very good effort by P.O.D. and a lot of fun to listen to.