"Justin Timberlake sees us and starts singing Alive": P.O.D. were way ahead of the nu-metal curve but others get the plaudits

P.O.D. studio portrait
(Image credit: Alicia Hauff)

When P.O.D. formed in San Diego in 1992, the term ‘nu metal’ wasn’t yet even a whisper in the metal world. Nonetheless, the band’s mixture of hip-hop, punk and metal made them forerunners in a scene that would dominate the pop-culture landscape. 

Despite the genre’s fall from grace at the turn of the millennium, P.O.D. persevered. Their new album, Veritas, arrives six years after their previous one, 2008’s When Angels & Serpents Dance, and even with the departure of drummer Wuv Bernardo after almost 30 years, vocalist Sonny Sandoval says the band are stronger than ever.

Alt

The gap between Veritas and its predecessor is the longest between albums in P.O.D.’s history. What was the hold up? 

You may like

We were a little bit behind the eight ball because of covid. A lot of bands when they realised they couldn’t tour were like: “Cool, let’s write instead.” But we’re an old-school band, we sit together in a room and we write records. 

What does Veritas say about who P.O.D. are in 2024? 

You have to grow and change – that’s a part of life. We’re not these teenage kids writing in-your-face ‘this is what I believe’-type songs. But the core will always be the same – P.O.D. comes from a place of gratefulness and of love. Our faith in God will never change. 

P.O.D. have always embraced collaborations, and this album is no different. What do you get from working with other artists? 

We were one of the first bands to line up multiple collaborations on an album, because we’re hip-hop fans and that’s what they would do. We’ve worked with legends and new talent alike: HR from Bad Brains, Eek-A-Mouse!, Tatiana Shmayluk… the list goes on. It shows our diversity. We can play with the heaviest of bands, or work with a reggae legend.

P.O.D. - "I GOT THAT" (Official Music Video) VERITAS - YouTube P.O.D. -
Watch On

Were you annoyed at being lumped in with nu metal, even though P.O.D. predate the genre? 

We’re among the pioneers in this game! Every time we do a record or play a show, we don’t understand why we don’t get the same respect as bands who came later. People might think we’ve got these big songs, so it’s all just money in the bank, but for some reason we missed that boat. Our friends are playing arenas and have money to burn, but here we are proving that you can do it. 

How did it feel when the genre took off? 

When we first started, people would look at it like: “They’re heavy, but they’re rapping. They must be like Body Count.” Then the same thing happened with Rage Against The Machine. Then Limp Bizkit comes out and we’re being compared to them. ‘Nu metal’ was just another name. Before that it was rap rock, or rapcore… We didn’t care because we were just doing it. Now we embrace it; if someone says: “You’re my favourite nu-metal band”, I’m just happy to be their favourite [laughs]. 

Who’s the most surprising P.O.D. fan you’ve ever met?

A bit like how people might assume we only like heavy music, it can go both ways. We got invited to play the Latin Grammys with Santana. As we’re walking up to perform, Justin Timberlake had just given an award, and he sees us and starts singing Alive. We couldn’t believe it, man! 

Veritas is out now via Mascot.

Rich Hobson

Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token. 

Read more
Papa Roach 2024
"We have lost friends, to ODs, suicide. And we see each other out there still holding it down." How Papa Roach survived the rise and fall of nu metal to be bigger than ever in 2024
Disturbed’s David Draiman sitting in an electric chair in 2001
“A lot of bands, it’s nepotism that gets them anywhere – go to the right party and make the right friends. For us, that wasn’t an option”: How Disturbed defied the odds to become nu metal superstars with The Sickness
Papa Roach studio portrait
"There was a rumour that I had a secret underground water park in my backyard": Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix on overnight success, the path to sobriety and the nu metal resurgence
Limp Bizkit Lollapalooza 2021
"A cocktail of pure fire and creativity." How Limp Bizkit went from nu metal's whipping boys to a beloved cultural force (again)
Knocked Loose band shot 2024
"Slipknot took care of us!" Knocked Loose's Bryan Garris on rubbing shoulders with metal icons, taking hardcore mainstream and what comes next
Fit For An Autopsy press shot 2024
"We saw Sleep Token in Glasgow. 14,000, sold out. It just makes me hungry." Deathcore heroes Fit For An Autopsy have their sights on being extreme metal's biggest band
Latest in
Queen posing for a photograph in 1978
"Freddie’s ideas were off the wall and cheeky and different, and we tended to encourage them, but sometimes they were not brilliant.” Queen's Brian May reveals one of Freddie Mercury's grand ideas that got vetoed by the rest of the band
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
Adrian Smith performing with Iron Maiden in 2024
Adrian Smith names his favourite Iron Maiden song, even though it’s “awkward” to play
Robert Smith, Lauren Mayberry, Bono
How your purchase of albums by The Cure, U2, Chvrches and more on Record Store Day can help benefit children living in war zones worldwide
Cradle Of Filth performing in 2021 and Ed Sheeran in 2024
Cradle Of Filth’s singer claims Ed Sheeran tried to turn a Toys R Us into a live music venue
The Beatles in 1962
"The quality is unreal. How is this even possible to have?" Record shop owner finds 1962 Beatles' audition tape that a British label famously decided wasn't good enough to earn Lennon and McCartney's band a record deal
Latest in Features
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
The Mars Volta
“My totalitarian rule might not be cool, but at least we’ve made interesting records. At least we polarise people”: It took The Mars Volta three years and several arguments to make Noctourniquet
Ginger Wildheart headshot
"What happens next, you give everyone a hard-on and then go around the room with a bat like Al Capone?!” Ginger Wildheart's wild tales of Lemmy, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and more
Crispian Mills and Bob Ezrin
“We spent seven months on David Gilmour’s boat and almost bankrupted ourselves. But Bob encouraged us to dream big”: How Bob Ezrin brought out the prog in Kula Shaker
Buckethead and Axl Rose onstage
Psychic tests! Pet wolves! Chicken coops! Guns N' Roses and the wild ride towards Chinese Democracy
Ne Obliviscaris
"Exul ended up being recorded at 10 different studios over two and a half years." Ne Obliviscaris and the heroic story of their fourth album