“Lights Out” by P.O.D., Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Following up P.O.D.’s 2003 self-titled album, Testify brings the band both back to their hard rock and reggae, while going deeper into rap rock. The video for the album’s lead single, “Goodbye for Now” topped MTV’s Total Request Live. It was the band’s fourth video to top the countdown, the most by a single artist until that point. Rather than a hard rock single as all P.O.D. albums had been led with until that point, “Goodbye for Now” was a down-tempo, moody Hip-Hop track featuring an act that co-producer Glen Ballard had signed to his soon-to-be-defunct record label, Java Records. Ballard suggested that Katy Perry at the end of the P.O.D. track. “Goodbye for Now” was slightly more successful than the singles from Payable on Death, but the band failed to follow up their lead single. It was also the band's last charting hit on non-Christian charts.

WE TORE THIS ROOF OFF THIS MOTHER; NOW IT’S TIME TO BLOW. P.O.D. departs from Howard Benson and instead works with Glen Ballard on Testify, the band’s sixth studio record, yet the album feels more like a natural follow-up to Satellite. Besides “Goodbye for Now,” Testify packs an energy that their previous record lacked. From the reggae Matisyahu duet opener, “Roots in Stereo” to the heavy closer “Mark My Words,” Testify takes a few time-outs, but it’s mostly an intense ride. The Psycho Realm’s Sick Jacken and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. contribute colorful Gangsta Rap lyrics to the song “On the Grind.” The album was also supposed to feature Korn’s Johnathan Davis was supposed to record a part on “Mistakes & Glories,” but was unable to meet the album’s schedule due to touring. Matisyahu also contributes to “Strength of My Life” and Jacken also contributes to “Mark My Words.” The album’s second single, “Lights Out” was only a minor hit, but it feels like the old P.O.D. is back. It’s a mature, fleshed-out version of “Checkin’ Levels” from The Fundamental Elements of South Town.  A major criticism of the Jason Truby era of P.O.D. is that the guitarist couldn’t keep up with the band’s hardcore sound, but in “Lights Out,” Truby earns his strings. 

WE LYRICAL MURDERIN’ LIKE WE CRIMINALS. P.O.D.’s fifth, self-titled album, was a kind of reintroduction to the band with a new guitarist.  Lead singer Sonny Sandoval seemed to be digging into the essence of what made the band P.O.D. But the complete change in sound wasn’t a successful effort. Testify, on the other hand, is like Sandoval’s thesis statement. It’s an overtly Christian album, but it’s also tales from the streets. It’s inter-faith, featuring Jewish artist Matisyahu. It’s collaborative, granting non-Christian artists verses. But, perhaps, it was a bit too preachy from a faith-based band that had reached its end on the hit parade. Then again, the music scene was changing in 2006 when the P.O.D. released Testify. Looking at Modern Rock/Alternative Airplay charts from the early ‘00s to mid-‘00s it's interesting to note the fall of Nu Metal as the chart started to favor pop punk and Emo. We’d see more faith-based acts on the charts from Flyleaf to Anberlin to Underoath, but as for P.O.D., it was “Goodbye for Now.”
 

Read the lyrics on Genius.