The Summary Judgment Reviews:
Title: The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
Artist: P.O.D.
Label: Atlantic
Release Date: 8/24/99

Rating: 5 Skulls
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    • Redwolff's Review:
    This CD came with a shitload of published reviews from sources as big as SPIN and as modest as "28th Street, L.A.'s College Magazine." A lot of people have been writing about this band and this album in particular, which is their first major label release, and a lot of those people have compared the band to Rage Against the Machine. Usually, I'd happily accept a favorable comparison to RATM, but in this case I don't think it's justified. P.O.D. is just as good, in my opinion, but putting them in a category that narrow isn't fair. Yes, they do a little of the righteous rap-metal ("Hollywood," "Tribal"), but they also do some old school rap ("Checkin' Levels"), some funky Infectious Grooves/Red Hot Chili Peppers stuff ("Rock the Party (Off the Hook)"), some reggae ("Set Your Eyes to Zion") and even do a excellent cover of U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky." P.O.D. actually cite Bad Brains as more of an influence. They are a versatile band who are able to retain enough of a common sound between songs to make Fundamental Elements flow.

    P.O.D. is a Christian band, although a dreadlocked, tatooed, pierced Christian band. This is evident in most of their lyrics, and very obvious in tracks like "Psalm 150" and "Set Your Eyes to Zion," but never gets preachy. The members of the band grew up in Southtown, across the border from Tijuana, and spent their formative years witness to crime and mayhem and probably took some part in the action at times. Now that God has found them, they testify, but don't shove it down your throat. The biggest difference between this "Christian" band and most of the other heavy bands out there is that their lyrics are a lot more positive. These guys have seen just as much pain, but instead of whining about it they assure the listener that things can be better, that lives can have meaning, that the downtrodden can be lifted up. So often I find a band whose sound I really like but whose lyrics load me down with such desolation I want to take a header off the fire escape. P.O.D. is a lot more uplifting, while still packing a punch.
    5 out of 5

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