Multi-platinum, GRAMMY®-nominated hard-rockers P.O.D. release their ninth studio album, The Awakening. The evocative album features special guests Maria Brink from In This Moment and Lou Koller from Sick of it All...

For their ninth studio album, P.O.D. haven't just churned out a collection of unconnected tracks. The LP has been designed to take the listener on a journey based on the good and bad choices of a central character, exploring the consequences of his decisions.

The band state that The Awakening has been constructed to be listened to in its entirety. Each song ultimately explores a character dealing with life, making mistakes, fighting, trying. However, in the attention deficit world we currently live in, where there are too many distractions, the album also works if you pull tracks out and listen to them individually.

The 10 songs (45 min, 24 sec) draw on the bands collective past. It's no surprise that this comes over as a confident, well polished project.

'This Goes Out to You' and 'Criminal Conversations' were highlights for me, but to be honest this is an album that their fans will really enjoy from the very first note to the last.

8

Nick Smithson