The band Payable On Death was formed in 1992 by Marcos Curiel and Wuv Bernard, who are originally from San Diego. In the early stages the duo were just jamming and didn't currently have a vocalist. Sonny Sandoval was invited to join by his cousin Bernard after he turned to Christianity following the fatal death of his mother. After the edition of bass player Gabe Portillo, the original line up was in place and they continued from there as P.O.D. The band have a variety of influencers such as Santana, Bob Marley, Metallica, U2, Pantera, Bad Brains and Faith No More. This helps to explain the way their sound tends to cross genres including alternative rock, reggae and latin.
In 1994 they released their debut album 'Snuff the Punk' through Rescue Records. They didn't achieve chart success with their first few albums yet their reputation quickly spread through the States, the band were famously offered a $100,000 recording contract which Sonny turned down as he believed that “God has a bigger plan for P.O.D".
The 2001 album 'Satellite' was their first appearance on the US and UK charts, charting at #6 and #16 respectively. They also topped the US Christian charts and appeared on numerous others around the world. Their next four albums all topped the US Christian chart, whilst three peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard Chart. However their success in the UK could be described as a one hit wonder, with 'Satellite' remaining the only charting album.
P.O.D.'s appeal as rock musicians and nu metal performers is such that many of their diehard fans don't even realise they are a Christian band. P.O.D., or Payable On Death have put enough craft into what they do to appeal to people from all walks of life, regardless of creed, from the disenfranchised youth to the fans faithful in every sense, for whom hits like 'Alive' take on a whole new meaning.
Wherever you stand on your beliefs and philosophy, P.O.D. may have something for you. With 8 albums released, 12 million records sold, major motion picture soundtrack deals and three grammy nominations under their bible belts, P.O.D.'s success demonstrates that they bring a whole nu dimension to nu metal. The live rock shows really rock. This band can get fans going crazy in the most exhilarating way. Expect a lot of jumping, chanting and intense rhyme-spitting, both on-stage and off. What may surprise people is that P.O.D. can also be seen live performing an acoustic set. The group play their back catalogue on an arrangement of acoustic guitars, bass and ethnic drums like cajon and bongos. The songs don't lose their energy or intensity, even when they bust out the occasional melodica solo. Instead they gain a cool and intense intimacy.
Whatever your tastes, P.O.D. provide a couple of different ways for you to experience their music. Go forth now in peace, to experience.