P.O.D.
Live At Tomfest
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
We've been telling you how great this band is, ever since we put them on our first Hard Music Compilation in 1994. Now they're about to become possibly Christian hard music's most prominent act. The only negative thing that could be said about the band up to now was that their studio albums did not capture their essence as did their live shows. Now we have a live set captured for all time that shows more of the energy and intensity this band has to offer. It lacks the sonic width of a studio recording, and it's not the full-on production of the larger-than-life live albums from the 70's supergroups, but it certainly tracks the riffage and tightness of this band. The plodding and groove of "Breathe Babylon" comes across loud and clear (especially played loud!), even while the sweet guitar tones of "Selah" retain their beautiful tone. We get the P.O.D. showstopper, "Full Color," with a glimpse of the song's passion, albeit the start/stops in the song aren't as impacting or tight as Brown's version. Those awaiting P.O.D.'s Atlantic Records debut can at least feast on this 9-song live disc. Next to seeing the band live, this is probably the next best introduction to this killer band.