POD: The Awakening review

It was 2012 when P.O.D. made their official return with the release of Murdered Love. They immediately hit the road in support of the album and it was clear their Christian faith was stronger than ever. Featured on almost every major festival between 2012-2014, the band was more powerful than ever and it was like they had hit a second prime. 2015 sees the follow-up to Murdered Love in The Awakening and their faith is more prominent in this album than in every album from their career combined. Between The Awakening and The Whosoevers organization which frontman Sonny Sandoval is part of, P.O.D. aren\’t straying from what they believe and it\’s pretty clear they\’re wearing it on their sleeve and are out to make a difference in the world. The Awakening is a lot darker than previous albums, touching on numerous worldly issues and also touching on the darkness and lows many Christians face and reach during their spiritual walks. After almost every song there\’s an audio snippet during which Christians talk about their struggles and questioning their faith. There\’s even a spot where a Christian man talks about wanting to die. After each audio snippet, P.O.D. comes in with a song related to what was said. The classic P.O.D. sound is prominent and the band sounds better than ever and with an album as lyrically strong as The Awakening, P.O.D. have really hit on some cords and hit the nail on the head with a lot of Christians and spiritual people. So often, Christian artists or bands who are Christians release music that\’s only positive and happy. There\’s nothing wrong with that but sometimes people forget the struggles and darkness that comes with a Christian walk. It\’s bands like P.O.D. or Love and Death that make the difference and remind us that it\’s not always easy and it\’s not always how it looks and seems on the outside. P.O.D. have written one hell of a powerful album and it\’s going to be an anthem for a lot of people when they hear it. Rating: 9/10 -Reggie Edwards