As P.O.D. release their new album, Veritas, we’ve teamed up with the band for this very special bundle you won’t find anywhere else.
Alongside the new issue of Metal Hammer magazine, which will include an exclusive P.O.D. cover you can’t get in shops, the bundle comes with an exclusive signed art card and patch. There are only 300 bundles worldwide, and you can only order them via Metal Hammer – so get yours now!
Inside the issue itself, P.O.D. take us on a tour of their vibrant hometown, San Diego. From rehearsal spaces, to the Tribal Clothing streetwear brand, to taco joints, they explain how the city has shaped them since their formation in 1992. The band have always been open about their Christian faith, but Sonny explains how, early on, they turned down a $100,000 offer from a Christian label.
“We’d been approached by a lot of indie Christian labels and stuff,” says frontman Sonny Sandoval, “but we never felt like that was our scene. We didn’t want to be a Christian band. We weren’t trying to be the poster child for Christian rock.”
The title of P.O.D.’s 11th album, Veritas, means ‘truthfulness’. It features guest spots from Jinjer’s Tatiana Shmayluk (Afraid To Die) and Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe (Drop). “There’s stuff about burning down the system, which is kind of in my wheelhouse,” Randy tells us. “Not ‘kind of’ – directly! Ha ha!”
According to guitarist Marcos Curiel, Veritas is markedly heavier than its predecessor, 2018’s Circles. “Circles was written in a more of an alternative metal/poppy sense,” he explains. “We made a decision to be more heavy rock on this.”
The guitarist also explains why San Diego is so special to the band, who still live there today. “This is where we built our character on all fronts,” Marcos says. “Culturally, spiritually and artistically. It’s part of a culture – the Hispanic culture. A lot of people around the world don’t understand it, but it’s part of day-to-day life. It’s part of the sound! How could we ever leave when that’s what we are?”
Also in the magazine, there are brand new interviews with Kerry King, Lzzy Hale, Knocked Loose, Ministry, Dying Wish, Ice Nine Kills, Bambie Thug, While She Sleeps, Witch Club Satan and much, much more!