P.O.D. - Circles

In all fairness, this album probably would have fared just as well as any P.O.D. album in the early 2000’s. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the posturing rap rock that has defined P.O.D., but I do enjoy the crunchy instrumentals of a few highlights from their discography. And I can also appreciate when lead singer Sonny Sandoval does come through with some good verses and strong performances, while acknowledging that the lyrical style really might just not be my cup of tea quite a bit of the time. Even as nu metal waxed and waned, the band has been steadfastly married to the rap-oriented side of the genre, for better or for worse, and they are indeed a loving spouse. Circles is yet another musical love letter to their dear rap rock and nu metal, and one that doesn’t really differ all that much from most of their post-Satellite material. Like any P.O.D. album, it has its highs and lows, its hometown adoration, its underdog attitude, its slightly spiritual vibe, and its lean rap metal production.
The album starts off with the alternative metal of “Rockin’ with the Best”, which has some decent bass-laden verses about the band’s longevity and persistence, but man, the choruses are so repetitive and lazy. The second track, though, “Always Southern California”, finds its strength in the infectiousness of the 90’s reggae-rock-influenced chorus.
The alt rock sway of the title track focuses on medication abuse and the daze it creates, while the subsequent “Panic Attack” riffs like diet Rage Against the Machine (or Prophets of Rage) with verses about compromised mental health/stability as a result.
The rapped verses and the bridge especially of the hard-rocking “On the Radio” take shots at the band’s contemporaries who have abandoned their roots for radio success. The band transition into the much more Kumbaya reggae rock of “Fly Away”, which is honestly one of the better tracks on the album.
The basic alt metal groove of the subsequent songs, “Listening for the Silence” and “Dreaming”, is pretty unmoving with the album’s hollow production and the band’s autopilot performances. The ambient reggae rock track “Domino” is another soothing moment for the album, but one that delivers more of an eyes-glazed-over effect than intimacy with the music.
The album ends with two kind of awkward alternative/nu metal tracks, “Soundboy Killa” and “Home”, the latter of which could be read as analogy for wanting to leave Earth and go to heaven, which is a bit dark, but I get it.
P.O.D. clearly have the support of their dedicated fanbase, who have kept them steady like the Slayer of rap-flavored nu metal, and this album is of course more for them than anyone outside the fan base. Circles is not going the be the album that changes anyone’s mind about rap metal or P.O.D., but it will definitely satiate those who have evidently stuck with the band and given them their now-ten-album career.

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