Christian nü-metal outfit P.O.D. were already a decade into their career when they hit it big with the their 1999 major label debut, “The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown“, and its 2001 follow-up, “Satellite“. Both albums would quickly notch up platinum certifications in the United States, with the group’s 2003’s self-titled outing also going gold.
However, despite years in the trenches helping pioneer the explosion of rap and metal that would rule the mid 90s and early 00s, the San Diego, CA-based outfit have been unable to retain the same level of success that some of their peers have continued to enjoy since that commercial heyday.
While System Of A Down, Korn, Limp Bizkit and more still enjoy higher billing on festivals and fill up notable venues, P.O.D., who predate them all, command a far more modest profile on the touring circuit.
Being leapfrogged by those that preceded them is a concern that P.O.D. are indeed aware of, but they apparently don’t dwell on it. In a newly published interview with Classic Rock, the group’s vocalist Sonny Sandoval spoke on that.
When asked if he was annoyed that his band was originally lumped in with nü-metal, despite having carved out their niche in the world of rap rock years prior, Sandoval replied:
“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.”
When asked how he felt when the genre shot to the top of the charts during its salad days, he added:
“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].
