P.O.D. - Veritas (2024) [Hi-Res]

Platinum-selling rock juggernaut POD returns in a major way with Veritas, the eleventh POD. LP and arguably their hardest-hitting record yet. Lovers of all forms of music, POD have forever incorporated everything from rock to reggae, hip-hop to punk in their art. "We flirt with so many different styles," offers Curiel. This go-round, however, POD decided to get back to the basics. "We made a conscious decision to keep it in the rock zone this time," says Sandoval adding that there's "a certain bounce and a certain two-step" to the 11 tracks that comprise the album. "These songs are a throwback to me and remind me of the raw unbridled energy of classic South San Diego POD," offers Daniels.

Written over the course of several years, with the band typically writing a tune or two at a time in L.A. with The Heavy, Veritas is a cannon-shot of adrenaline to the ear drums. And for a band that has never shied away from wearing their heart on their sleeve, it's also one of the most emotionally inspired albums of the band's career. The word Veritas -- which translates to "Truth" in Latin -- defined the emotional core of the album, and the album art further encapsulates that message: to Curiel, the Veritas album cover, which pictures a child with its eyes blacked out, signifies "a culmination of innocence and dark hidden truths."