The TRUTH about Christian metal (Sonny Sandoval of POD)
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2023
- Sonny Sandoval of POD talks about the 90s Christian metal scene
Full Interview: • SONNY SANDOVAL (P.O.D....
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Thanx man!
Rapture in December, new moon, during Hanukkah, when light 1st returns to the moon!!! It's time!!!
With major labels, they make artists because witches before they'll even show em a contract. When they sign the "record deal," they sign in their own blood, making deals with devils. Their works are full of hexes and curses. Is this truth? I'm very curious
I saw them in 98 in Birmingham AL, small venue with MXPX and 90lb Wuss. maybe 60 people. They rocked it, I waited to the end of the show and everyone met them. My mother had cancer and the entire band prayed with me about her and showed mad love. I will always have respect for Sonny and the whole P.O.D. crew!
Did you see them live at The Crush by any chance? That's where I saw them alongside countless other T&N bands
@@RedeemedPrepper It could gave been, i dont remember the name of the venue, but i know it was fairly small
Praying to the god who made us vulnerable to cancer? If god does exist...
@@theunholinesswithin70just by your name I can tell your beliefs are tied to the Christian faith. You're just on the "anti" or "opposing" side of the whole debate. And I think that's just fine. What a strange and glorious time to be alive. God bless you. 😂
@@worldssickestmedia2713 Cool story bruh... Mr Strawman here.
I love Sonny, I ran into him as he was signing autographs at a Christian festival in Colorado. I was a devastating mess in the middle of a divorce when I went up to him and he seen it in my eyes and asked me what was going on. And he took me aside in front of everybody and prayed with me. I'll always remember that I was on the brink of self-destruction and all kinds of things and he gave me a little help to walk away and keep fighting. I'll always remember that. Sonny❤ Love you brother!
This made me cry bro!
Awesome story. Thanks for sharing.
@@austincooleymusic yeah man it was really really rough. Little did I know that was just the beginning. I was trying every way as a newish Christian man and husband and father to my beautiful son and I had so much knowledge I wanted to pass on to him. I was a product of the Los Angeles foster system I was placed in there when I was about 12... And I came from a really terrible upbringing so many things that would have killed a kid or man. That system was a place for predators to stalk children. That whole system should be burned to the ground. It does nothing but hurt children and teach them even worse things. That's just a little teeny bit of background, All of my friends say my story needs to be a movie or a book. But yes it got really worse. I'll never forget the worst cry and feeling of pain inside when I was in fetal position on the floor all night when I asked God let me take on her problems. And I said God. Please take your holy scalpel to me and please take out whatever is wrong with me... Oh boy did he let me lol... I never want to taste of that again. I believe he was letting me say I'm supposed to take that pain not you. So here you can have it. I remember going to work the next day and my boss took me aside and she said Tim. Are you okay? I feel like I'm watching you die right in front of me. But that little moment was Sonny gave me some more Hope to keep fighting and go through it. After all that, God inspired me to write a ton of music and poems that I wanted to with the vision I had it was going to be a production and concert mixed to help others and give others the same Hope and share my story in music and poems the music I wrote is still therapy to me when I listen to it . I mean songs were just flying out of me lol. It's basically I hope someday to see Sonny again and thank him and talk about life. Hey Sonny, if you're ever in Show Low Arizona come on up bro and enjoy the beautiful mountains and serenity. I live around now. Thank you for your reply my friend! And God bless anybody going through this and if anybody ever wants to talk about anything going through the same thing, reach out. You can get a hold of me through my UA-cam channel and my music channel is linked to it and you can totally get a hold of me there. I'd like to give somebody the same. Hope that even through a train wreck in the worst pain in your life that you think it is, you can get through it and come up even better with more knowledge. The cool thing is God did not let me become a hateful person and become a bitter hateful person. I became the opposite. It softened my heart even more.
@@Lewis-me7jr You're very welcome. Blessings to you!
@@AtomicGarden68💪🙏💪
Never be ashamed of being called a Christian.
Hebrews 10:39
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:18-19
Yeah, you should be very ashamed😂 Google “Christian torture devices” some time.
What about when your religion is just fine about touching kids and trying to hide it??
@@ryanmccoy3844 The jews have you wrapped around their finger. Go read another book that actually enlightens and doesn't glorify rape, slavery, animal sacrifice, murder, and incest.
I was the drummer for Grammatrain (Forefront records) and I have to admit that while we never sold a million records I really took the 90’s Christian underground music scene for granted. We had the same manager as POD and they were always very nice to us when our paths crossed. I was very happy (and admittedly jealous) for their success!
Still have the Lonely House album, a real highlight of 90's "Christian " music.
You were an amazing band!
Oh wow, I used to listen to you guys back in the day! Good stuff!
I loved you guys. I was in a Christian metal band as a kid named Bethlehem Steele. We had a chance to open for Bloodgood but we broke up. They went on without me for some time. They were never signed. Later on in a less serious band, we tried to cover one of your songs but our drummer couldn't keep up with you haha. I'm sure he'd laugh now also now that were just a bunch of old guys that never got to quit their 9-5's.
Really liked and appreciated your music. Thanks and God bless.
Lonely House is an amazing album
Was listening to Youth of the Nation today. 20 years later and it's as relevant as ever. Great band.
When that song randomly comes on while shuffling my music, I turn it up..loud
The first 8 tracks of Satellite hold up against any rock record ever. The melody, the groove, and the lyrics hold up. Timeless stuff, there. And I'm a crotchety old metalhead who bought Stryper's debut on cassette through mail order from Enigma records when it was released.
I'm astonished you mail ordered music that wasn't from Columbia house😂
That Satellite album was so well produced and the songs were pretty dang good
@@hadzmat758 The BMG club was where I got the Metal Church debut and Queensryche Rage for Order on cassette. 6 for a penny! (plus a SMALL shipping charge, lol). But the Enigma mail catalog was awesome. Wish I had kept a couple. To sound even older, because I was a teenager, I didn't have a checking account, so I would go to the grocery store and buy a money order to send in the mail with my order form.
Why we trying to hold up against the world.
I been driving a tour bus for bands for over 30 years but never got the pleasure to drive for them. But another driver I know drove them and had nothing but good things to say about them. He said they were very family oriented and extremely respectful of everyone. (Southtown is one of my all-time favorite songs ever.)
Sonny remains one of my heroes after 20+ years; got to chat with him once briefly after a P.O.D. concert here in Brazil in 2017 and he was just super super kind to everyone
W for Finn for putting Stryper in the thumbnail, I love that band
I did a double take…. Then “wait I recognize those outfits!”
As a kid who came up with POD as a idea of Christian metal / rock, where can I start with Stryper?
I'm listening to 72 Seasons for the first time, and Barbie' soundtrack tonight
I think their bassist was called “OzzFox” because his voice sounded like Ozzy Osbourne when he sang or something like that
@@dellebelphine-moralez3510that’s the guitar player. He’s a beast
I was on the P.O.D. street team back in the day. It was so cool when The Fundamental Elements of Southtown came out and they started being played on the radio and MTV. I saw them in DC shortly after 9/11 (which was the same day that their album "Satellite" came out) and I really wanted to meet Sonny because my mom died of cancer the year before and his songs about losing his mother to cancer really spoke to me. We waited around after the show and I did get to meet him and tell him about my mom and thank him for the songs about his mom, but unfortunately there was a chain link fence between us so I couldn't get a hug or anything. I'm 40 now and still hoping that maybe someday I'll get that hug.
Finn you’re really really good at what you do.
The fact you asked “what do you mean by “so called Christians”” just shows how good you are. Keep it coming man. I love seenng you speak with the artists, you’ve got a great future in whatever you do.
If you’ve never seen Stryper totally shred live you are missing out on greatness! It’s not my favorite style (glam metal) but they are unbelievable musicians!
Soooo different than their studio sound, especiallyRobert. I learned to play the drums by listening to To Hell With the Devil. The first time I saw them play it live, I realized he is such an underrated drummer.
They don’t sound like glam metal today. There’s a harder edge to their sound. I still love 80’s Stryper but today’s Stryper has more ⚽️ 🏀 🏈
That was one of my favorite shows ever. I had never listened to them, but they came to town. I was right in the middle of the front row and Michael Sweet sang to me the entire concert. It freaked me out. I was 15 and my boyfriend was mad. They sounded great though.
They are still pumping out great music. Saw their current tour in March and they still rock.
Their last four or five records are absolutely killer
Especially no more hell to pay
My dad took me to see POD with Alien Ant Farm a few years ago in a small local bar and Sonny saw me by myself over by a brick wall up next to the next to the stage, jumpin, jus enjoying the music and come right over and reached over the first row of people and fist bumped me. It was a heck of a moment. These bands I've been listening to for around 20 years, and that I got my dad into back in the day, still KILLIN IT and I'm there with my dad sharing the moment. Regardless of tensions my dad and I have had for my 30 years at the time, here we are bonding over music that I showed him, after him showin me, as a kid, all the great music from his time period. It was a special moment and I think Sonny saw that, being one of the only people in the crowd up close jus taking it in, he came right over, reached over to me and 👊🏻! Ill never forget that moment. Music is power!🤘🏻
I remember Alien Ant Farm LOL
*_Saw P.O.D. at Cornerstone in 2006. Sonny was out of breath by the second song, but the rest of the band played super tight. Wuv hits his drums so hard, it just blasts you in the chest. Glad I got to see them! 🤙_*
In Berkeley?
Sonny was and still seems a solid dude. Hung out with them briefly and any time they blew through Las Cruces before they got big. They were funny guys too. He talked the Bible with my friends and I. Not like in a churchy way but from his life experiences. If you see this Sonny thank you for blowing through our area repeatedly before getting big. A POD show always lifted my spirit back in the day and blessed my crew✨👊
Saw p.o.d. here in Belo Horizonte - Brazil (city where Sepultura started). And It was one of the best metal/rock concerts I went in my life. Such a strong and positive energy. Hope I can watch them again Someday.
I graduated in 2001 and a little old lady from my church gave me a gift certificate to our town's 'Christian Book Store'.
I bought 'Fundamental Elements' having never heard of POD in my life. I enjoyed it. But then I bought 'Satellite' later that Summer and 'Set it Off' is track #1. I'm hooked and I've been a fan for life!! Seen them so many times live. Buy every album. Wuv has inspired the way I play drums. So epic POD!!
It surprises me that he didn't know about Christin bands back then. Sonny is my age and the scene was a bit underground but you had popular breakthrough acts like Stryper, Petra, Whitecross and even Jars of Clay and from there you had to dig but that scene delivered some great heavy acts like Believer, Tourniquet, Deliverance, Devastation, Sacrament, Living Sacrifice, Argyle Park (which was Industrial) with some guilty "grunge" pleasures like Sometime Sunday - they didn't age very well but I still appreciate the rawness. Tooth and Nail records was a big label for these bands (except for Devastation who was actually on Combat Records...amazing). Hell, I'm not even religious and I caught wind of the Christian scene back then.
Oh man, thanks for mentioning Argyle Park and reminding me they exist! I got huge into them around the same time I discovered Klank and Celldweller, now I'll have to revisit their stuff at some point soon
Well said, I was thinking the same thing. I grew up in the 80s, i knew all the christian and nonchristian bands.
My mom was a fundamentalist Christian, so I was only allowed to listen to Christian music in her house. Luckily, there was a Christian metal/punk scene and some of it was pretty aight. I still listen to some of it now. "Reborn" by Living Sacrifice is a legit great album.
Super underrated band. Them and 6 feet deep were my favorites. I had type of parents
Conceived in Fire and their debut are classics!
I listened my Reborn CD to death. Still one of my favourites.
Living Sacrifice and 90lb Wuss were two bands I really wanted to see live and never got the chance. They're both highly underrated, imo.
We were playing in a touring Christian hardcore band when Reborn came out. We actually played a show with Sacrifice as the headliner and went on right before them. It was a great night hanging out with them.
I used to manage a rehearsal studio they practiced at in SD.
They were always a good band.
Sonny was always a very real person. Not phony at all. He would often ask how I was….like really ask and wait for an answer….as opposed to how most people don’t really listen.
Genuine good guy.
My band got to play a festival with them in 1996 (TOMFest, in the Columbia River gorge on the Washington State side, it was like a Christian Lalapalooza). My drummer and I stood behind them, right behind Wuv's drums. It was nuts; seriously the energy they put off on stage was electrifying. It was just after they released Brown and had a video on MTV. Much respect to POD!
I went and seen POD share the stage with Dogwood, Living sacrifice and Project 86 in 2002 in Portland Oregon. It was an amazing show. When I was in high school, my buddy turned me on to Deliverance (Christian speed metal) and Saint (judas priest sounding). These two bands opened my eyes to Christian music beyond 1980's contemporary Christian music. I then discovered Vengeance Rising, X-Sinner, White Cross, Barren Cross, Sacred Warrior, Mylon Lefevre and broken heart, tourniquet, Seventh Angel and Stryper. Most of these bands would have been considered heavy and controversial within contemporary Christian music. They sounded too much like secular bands. The comments i heard and read were "you can't sound like that and be Christian too" as well as "Oh you guys are Christians, no thanks." There has definitely been a learning curve within music, and I think it will continue as music styles change. I remember listening to a Christian comedian talk about what the music scene looked like back in the 60's and 70's when the hippie musicians were getting saved and wanted to play for God - the push back was enormous. Alot of those bands started breaking the mold of what was considered Christian music. Some true godfathers like Larry Norman and Petra; they were considered rock n roll.
Man, I had an X-Sinner tape that I wore out in high school! To me, they had a very similar sound to AC/DC.
I still have some cassettes of pretty much all those bands, Light Force, Scaterd Few, etc. and started getting CD's around the early '90s when I could afford the upgrade -- the Crucified, Deliverance, Believer, Mortal, Circle of Dust/Brainchild, etc... Lots of great stuff IMO. 8) I also saw Petra in the early/mid-'90s and was a bit bummed they didn't play Not of This World. :D
@@Rushtallica I’ve still got some early Petra CDs. Beat The System was a good one too. Originally had them on vinyl. Listened to a lot of Daniel Band too.
@@ChrisDavis1975 I'm glad we each still have those. And it brings back good memories for me. 8)
Saw them for my 16th birthday. The Chariot and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster opened. First time experiencing heavy music live. Years later i was rocking out to Behemoth.
Project 86 are CRIMINALLY underrated. They've released their final album and it's an absolute BANGER!!!
POD, P86, and Blindsided are the bands that made me a musician all those years ago lol
YES! YES! You know where greatness in music lies! Just slightly bummed it is their last album.
@pmshrevecomm Blindside totally deserve much reconginition. They are just absolutely that good.
I would love to see P.O.D , Project 86 and Blindside tour one last time!!!
I saw POD and Project 86 at Mt. Oak church in Maryland. Five iron frenzy was there I think. Amazing shows.
I met sonny behind the stage at a festival in Louisville KY years ago. He gave me an autograph and a hug. When I walked off I realized he had handed me the pen as well. A Snap On tools* pen. I think I stole this dudes pen!
Youth pastor for 10 years myself and the skater kids jammed to a lot of POD! Loved the musicianship and the straight forward but low key Gospel message.
Love P.O.D. saw them at Tomfest in 98 outside of Dallas. They had just been signed by Atlantic but the album hadn't come out yet. It was an incredible show hardly anyone was there but we were right against the stage and Sonny would put the mic in the crowd freaking amazing. Got to see them 3 years later at Cornerstone on the main stage with thousands of people with pyrotechnics and everthing, pretty incredible. And BTW Stryper played that year also before they officially got back together and they are still rocking now. The last 5 albums have been killer. Going see them in August.
Growing up in a conservative Christian environment, P.O.D was actually the first real metal band I ever encountered. They introduced me to the wider world of metal in general and without them I probably wouldn't listen to half the bands that I love so much today. Whenever I'm feeling nostalgic, I love to put on Testify or Satellite. Both are excellent records
Project 86 , MXPX, Zao, Blindside , Training for Utopia , & POD were what i already listened to, i got to hang out with Sonny after a concert back in 96.
Great interview. You asked some great questions Finn. HELL YEAH BROTHER
By the way, that'd be great if you could interview John Cooper (Skillet). You guys would have a lot to talk about in this regard (christian metal rock scene and stuff).
Him and Trevor from Thousand Foot Krutch. Both had massive crossover success, and still are putting out great tunes.
Are they true Christians?
@@brentj.peterson6070 yes, my friend
@@brentj.peterson6070 John Cooper (the vocalist/bassist) has a podcast talking about it. It's called 'Cooper Stuff'.
My brother saw Skillet at a christian community thing on my college campus in Mississippi. Skillet members were still a small christian band at the time.
I grew up having to listen to only christian music. But there was some epic releases that i found that i still love now more than 20 years on. Extol 'Burial' and 'Undeceived', most of the Zao albums, Crimson Thorn 'Dissection', Mortification 'Scrolls of the Megiloth', All the Antestor releases, Embodyment 'Embrace the Eternal', The first 4 Tourniquet albums, all the Living Sacrifice albums. Definitely a lot of great and creative releases.
Funny enough, I discovered and fell in love with stuff like Antester, Crimson Moonlight, SorrowStorm, and Vaakevandring at a point in my life where I pretty much wanted nothing to do with anything Christianity (the joys of being a nihilist in my youth), and yet for some reason these bands really still hooked me in and appealed to me even then. Hell, even now, decades later, I still marvel at how Christian extreme metal lyrics tend to be equal parts uplifting and badass.
very cool
I've seen Living Sacrifice 4 times, live in Colorado!
Growing up in the 80's heavy metal was a huge target for fundamentalists. I had friends that were Christian and their parents forbade them from listening to metal. Then Stryper changed that and even they caught flack from fundamentalist ministers. I think it was more of a fear of competition as more young people would be more willing to listen to modern music than traditional gospel music.
The 80's had a ton of great Christian metal bands though, like Sacred Warrior, Barren Cross, Bloodgood, Messiah Prophet, Watchmen, Jerusalem, Angelica, Zion, Straightway, etc., as well as those bands like Riot, Helloween and even Omen that had songs openly expressing their faith.
Fundamentalists hate any competition for your attention.
I saw them several times with Project 86, Blindside, Dogwood…maybe Stavesacre too? Great band. I remember being so pumped to go down to get Satellite the day it came out with some friends. But that was 9/11 and we woke up to the most horrible news coverage and tragedy of our lives. Being excited about a record felt shallow all of a sudden, so we didn’t go get it. We just sat there staring at the tv for hours not knowing what to think. So after a while my buddy Chris said, “should we get our mind off this and just go get the POD album?” So we did. We put the CD on in his car in the Best But parking lot and I remember the lyrics of the first song to “Stand Up” and “Be strong” being so EXACTLY what I needed to hear in that moment.
I will always remember the day Satellite came out, because it helped me feel okay on a very scary day.
I love POD!!! Been a fan since the southtown album. I got to see them in concert 2018 in little rock. It rained but it still was awesome!!!
Ok. I'll probably burn in Hades for this but...
I worked at a music store. We sold T-shirts. A family came in and the kid wanted to buy a Lamb of God tee shirt. The father wasnt sure who they were and asked me what type of music they played.. The kid gave me that "please mister" look.
I told their father.. Lamb of God.. They are a Christian rock band..
True story.. Ok.. Im ready to burn for my sin.
😅😅😅
A christian without discernment? No worries..that falls on the kid's parents on that one. You are forgiven 😂
In the late 90s I had a job that would take me out of town a lot. This was pre-spotify, etc. so I was always scanning different radio markets when I would be on the road. Since I had no knowledge of what stations in each city had what format, I'd inevitably stumble across an absolutely slamming tune that I knew I had never heard. Then the lyrics would kick in and that's when I'd realize I had stumbled onto a Christian station. I would listen as long as the lyrics weren't cheesy (but to be fair, I don't like secular music with cheesy lyrics/vocals either). I grew up Christian but was kind of straying from my faith at the time. As an adult with kids now, Ive come to realize the importance of faith in God in my life, so I appreciate bands like POD for giving us a positive message of faith but also cater to my love for aggressive music.
Seen POD years back. They are a really great band. Glad they're still doing their thing.
Broooooo this video takes me back lol. I never considered "P.O.D." a Christian band per se, but their lyrics were clear and they were and are just a GOOD band. I find it funny that Jesse Leach of Killswitch is a pretty hardcore believer, especially on their debut album when you listen to his lyrics (and the amazing side project "Times of Grace" with him and Adam D) but nobody pigeonholed them like with Sonny & his crew which sucked for them, IMO.
I loved guys like O.C. Supertones, Five Iron Frenzy, Ghoti Hook, Stavesacre, Project 86, Blindside, Switchfoot, etc. A lot of past members, unsurprisingly, have come out over the years and said they were just in the 'scene' to get signed because there was that whole movement happening and they couldn't get on the bigger, secular labels. I know MxPx was never a 'christian' band but Herrera I think is an atheist now or something, among others and that one DC Talk guy, but to each their own. It was still a good time in music for me, being in junior high school, and I go back and revisit those albums on Spotify often and brings back good memories. A lot of it sucked, yeah, but a lot of it didn't and had crossover success like Blindside and especially Switchfoot and Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, etc. Good clip!
Love that you mentioned Ghoti Hook. Those guys were awesome. A friend of mine knew them back in the day and we all hung out at Dennys till like 3 in the morning after one of their shows at a local church. Thanks for bringing back that great memory.
My thoughts exactly on Jesse Leach and KsE, the Alive or Just Breathing album has such beautiful lyrics and has clear roots in Leach’s faith. In regard to their success they certainly dodged a bullet, their music stands on its own without having to be cornered in the Christian sub unit of hardcore, they were able to make a legitimate mark on the metal genre at large.
Some of the heaviest bands I’ve loved were very devout like Living Sacrifice ‘the hammering process’ is so good..and Extol ‘Undeceived’ is insanely heavy. People deprive themselves of good tunes bc of belief systems
That seemed to be a really prevalent thing for secular bands to play the part of Christian bands to get signed to labels like tooth and nail and solidstate. Slick shoes, the agony scene, etc. etc. It seemed like the labels probably didn’t care much either and didn’t vet them too harshly as long as the talent was there.
The mid-90s to early-2000s was a GREAT time for Christian music, and I'm so glad I got to come up in it. My older brother was showing me stuff like 90lb Wuss and what not, but it was when I heard Project 86s "Pipedream" that I fell in love with music.
Loved the set on Sick New World thank you 🙏
Met Sonny at an event and was the nicest most honest artist I have met.
Salude to them for still going. Aint easy. Now I feel old cause I saw them on Ozzfest in 2002.
And Stryper did what they did but the guitar tone, riff and drums to Soldiers Under Command is one of the heaviest songs of 1985 by ANY band.
I saw Stryper about 6 months ago at a local club. They absolutely killed it. Guitars, bass and drums were huge, sounded sooo good!!
Stryper live shows are legendary. I'm glad to hear they still tear it up, at their age.
'96, got to play with these dudes at a skate park just outside of San Antonio. We were forced to play after them... One of the rougher shows I've played. They were the coolest though.
I had no idea until just now. POD was a band I had heard of in the 90's, and I knew the hit songs, but not much else. Fast forward to 2022, and I saw them open for Jinjer in San Antonio and they were fantastic! The music is heavy and uplifting, you could feel the vibe.
I love POD I was introduced to them in the skateboard movie GRIND
I remember seeing P.O.D. with Project 86 and Blindside at a small coffee house in Kansas City, MO. Great show! They came back with their new Album 'Fundamentals of Southtown' and you got into the show for the price of the album. It was great.
Loved project 86 and saw them live once
"This world is a Ghettooooo!" yes...yes it is, Sonny.
Where can I listen to the entire interview?
I saw P.O.D. live 10 times, and they're great. I even met the band last December for their VIP, and they're cool. Sonny knows me because I met him many times for the last 8 years. Christian Metal has been around for a long time, and I saw bands come and go. I love the music, the scene, and I thank God for them.
Agreed!
He referenced Blindside!!!!! A Thought Crushed My Mind is one of the heaviest albums ever post punk. Christian based or not. I'm not even a Christian anymore and I still jam that album.
Love Blindside. One of my favorites
I saw Blindside at slacker66 in Birmingham , Alabama. band was so good
So glad for those part of the whole Tooth and Nail scene. Was a church kid for a time and so happy to have music that rocked. Pretty sure a Zao concert began my hearing loss, jammed hard-core that night
I've always love these guys!!! Hoping I get to see them live at Trail Hero in October!!!
I love music with Biblical,Christian lyrics,definetly singing the truth!
Glad to see different perspectives here!
Saw P.O.D in 2013 finally (I’m a young guy) and they still had it. They brought this kids out during youth of a nation and it was a blast!
You could have picked my jaw up off the floor the first time I saw Southtown on MTV. I had been going to their shows since the beginning and was blown away to see their music video playing there (seeing a N.I.V. shirt in the video was bonus). Always been such an awesome hard working band with great messages. They deserve all the success.
There are metal bands that expose evil, so to me that's real metal. The Bible calls us to be as wise as serpents but as gentle as doves
P.O.D. is def one of my favorite bands from the era... regardless of their religious beliefs. There's tons of "Christian" bands I've loved for decades, despite not being a Christian.
Supposedly zao is christian deathcore, if such a thing even exists
Its sad that you are missing the concept of Jesus Christ then. Maybe you should dig in.
@@A_T_O_M_I_C_Rooster no
@@markwrenn5965 Your funeral.
@@A_T_O_M_I_C_Rooster nope
Awesome interview! Very cool.
Love Sonny! Great convo!!!
I grew up a pastor’s kid in the 70’s-90’s. I loved listening to all the christian rock/metal I could because it pissed off the church (not just my dad’s, all of them). But I learned to play the drums in 1991 by listening to Stryper’s Yellow and Black Attack, To Hell With the Devil, In God We Trust, and Soldiers Under Command.
My dad hated the christian rock/metal because he always felt the bands were trying to copy the secular bands they toured with. There’s no denying that some bands do this. No one is perfect. There’s always going to be hypocrites with any religion. There are a lot of christian bands who are just trying to make a living in a world that rejects what they believe in.
That’s why I agree with a lot of bands who state the band is not a christian band, but the members have a relationship with Christ, or they’re on their own spiritual journey. I look at how they are off stage. That’s how I’ve had to clarify my own life. I’ve been playing drums for churches since 1991.
I don’t care what denomination the church is, I care about what is being said from the pulpit as well as what the church is doing in the community. I refuse to play for churches who boast about their missionary work in other countries, but they don’t lift a finger to help the struggling people in the community, let alone in their own church.
Am I correct in my thinking? I don’t know, I’m just doing my best to make my way through life without holding grudges or have any hate towards people who don’t believe the same as I do.
Yeah.. right in our own backyards...so many need help and guidance. Gotta start there before going overseas.
I played drums/bass in a couple church bands and I've come to the conclusion that it's all about the fruit in their life to determine who is real and who isn't. As an ex agnostic that came from the background of secular thrash/death metal I got into listening to the christian metal bands. I was into mortification, deliverance, living sacrifice and demon hunter. I was led out of all of it although at the time in my life I wasn't ready to let go of metal and it was better listening to christian metal than secular metal. God worked through this like for example the album "scrolls of the megilloth" by mortification was used by Holy Spirit to aid in my revelation of the reality of eternal judgement, hell being a real place and Jesus being the only way to Father. I wouldn't listen to christian bands that cussed or did anything directly against scripture but when Holy Spirit revealed why I loved metal so much I stopped listening immediately. He took me back to being a teen in a dysfunctional home hating my life and parents and that I had used metal to feel powerful in my warzone of a life. This is my experience and as far as churches (as with anyone) watch the fruit(Matthew 7:15-20) and if they practice antiscriptural behavior you are wise to be wary. Yes people fall short but I'm talking practice as in lifestyle or they don't think anything of their sinful behavior. Quite a few in my church groups smoked dope were fornicators with no desire to change and I had to leave. We must be careful who we hang with. Of course we aren't to look down our nose at people but judge righteously as mentioned in the scriptures.
Even today it’s still somewhat underground. Just recently I discovered Fireflight! Amazing band! I fail to understand how I didn’t know about them back in the early to mid 2000’s.
Never got to see POD (yet). Saw Skillet last year. Going to see Stryper next month. I missed them the first go-around (the 80’s). Not missing them this time. 🤙🏼
I remember seeing POD at Spirit West Coast before they signed with Atlantic. Man, what a show they put on. I’ve seen them many times since!
Project 86 and Dogwood were amazing. I'd like to hear about the interaction if he ever met Ronnie Martin though...
I’ve just started listening to For Today. They’ve been broken up for a while but their music is amazing
Fan since Snuff The Punk cassette tape original cover art and bonus track, rocking on my Walkman full volume cleaning pools on Alabama gulf coast.
Great interview and Sonny is very well-spoken on this issue. It's an interesting conversation. Lots of bands labeled Christian were often pigeon-holed into that category which probably hurt their prospects for a bigger audience. I think it has shifted a bit largely because the quality and the number of Christian artists/bands have increased over the past couple of decades. POD definitely paved their own path and I respect them so much for that.
This is the second episode I’ve seen on this channel. Great work Finn. Keep it up. Interview Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying on this subject plz 🙏. Bless you.
They had some gems.
The first time I saw POD was in 92 at the boys and girls club in Oceanside with NIV, focused the blamed.
And at this time none of these bands were in labels.
Found POD, project 86 and demon hunter about the same time. Still love them today.
I worked on the main stage at Cornerstone when they played there in like '99 or so, I remember they closed the night, playing right after Living Sacrifice, who were great.
Saw POD at TomFest 98 I believe in Stevenson, WA. A buddy said “I heard these guys are rad” so we made sure to get up by the front. I was not ready for that pit. As soon as the first song kicked in, the crowd went nuts and my head collided with another mosher. I ended up needing stitches in my forehead and the other guy broke his tooth. While I was sitting in the emergency tent, they stopped the show, called out for my friends to come get me, and prayed for me on stage.
I didn’t get to enjoy the moment but I’ll always have that story. Even got to meet them the next day walking around. They gave me a free t-shirt since I missed the show.
Always wondered if they remember that incident.
I love that. That is classic POD
I didn’t hear of them until circa 99. I think Wuv was using a Pearl Marching snare in those days. Loved em since
Saw them in 2000 NYC, unknown band Linkin Park was opening for them and Project 86. Incredible show
I saw SHOUT back in the late 80s in a small venue, and they were awesome and delivered a great message. @KenTamplin was the lead singer at the time... I wore that cassette tape out!
Saw POD in early 2000s never knowing anything about them but months later, like skillet who played also at cornerstone I was telling all my friends after hearing them on the radio. Bragging I saw them before all my friends. Great show
Cool interview. Sonny has a unique perspective. Much respect. Still love some POD 👊
I have been down with P.O.D since the days of Snuff The Punk. I have the album cover tattooed on me to this day. I saaw them many times and Sonny is such a humble and cool human being
Well good to hear Sonya views about Christian music and regarding Stryper they were new had and huge impact in the 80s very controversial for their looking indeed but their music and lyrics were really good. they are the main band that impacted the secular world with the gospel. and of course were many other really good bands like Petra Resurrection band Jerusalem Bloodgood Deliverance etc etc. But POD started a new era that I like it as well. But their mesage was not open like stryper was a little hide. But it was good like he said people like it because a new style of good music and message. So I'm my opinion christian rock bands are awesome and today we have a lot of awesome bands that have a good Christian mesage to change people life's but the 80s with stryper was crazy times indeed. Nothing compares very melodic era. 🎸🎵🎶❤️💯✝️🙂👌
Much love to the men of POD! Gotta give mad respect to men who rock out as hard as they do for their beliefs!
POD played a show in my town that literally made the floor cave in. Christian and non talked about that show for years after.
Saw them with Project 86 in Sacramento Ca at the turn of the century...krazy how time flys...
Most of the hardcore kids I knew were at least into Strongarm, Zao and Training For Utopia. No Innocent Victim crossed over pretty easily. And I certainly had Brown on cassette. Project 86 was pretty popular amongst non-christians too.
I also enjoyed a couple other bands like Ghoti Hook, 90 Pound Wuss, Roadside Monument, Slick Shoes.
I did go and see the Supertones, Stavesacre, and Ghoti Hook at a church in Bedford, NH back in the day and it was fun.... but holy mackerel just wasn't the place for me hehe.
I saw them recently. I don’t know what it is but for their age they are fantastic!
Interesting perspectives. I agree that it did become a very popular thing in the mid 2000’s to be labeled a “Christian” band. Years later we find out who was and weren’t. Some just used that label as a path to fans.
My older brother introduced me to POD in 98 maybe. They just made great music and their faith came through the music because when something is important to you, especially beliefs, then of course it will seep through expression. They said things that needed to be said and for someone from a rough area like me could find positive influence.
My First Rock concert i was ever attended is P.O.D. youth of the nation tour here in Manila way back 2002
I remember seeing them at Cornerstone fest in '96 and '98. At the time, I was a Catholic kid just out of high school that had friends that invited me to concerts like that. Those days impacted my life A LOT actually.
There is a story they Sonnie passed. What the hell . Love this group. Was my music as a kid in the 90s . I just introduced my teen. She's been handling issues and I felt they would help
Hell yeah Finn. You need to do a Christian Heavy music ranking
As I Lay Dying. Top of the list
I gone to a Holy soldier and gramma train concert and it was very cool.
The thing I loved about POD was the fact that they weren't preachy. Of course, I had recently gotten sober when I first heard them, and they resonated with me. Gratitude for the things I dodged by the grace of God and the new freedom that found me as the result of getting sober.
Sonny is so humble and anazing
Warriors tour 98, Bartlesville OK! P.O.D, Blindside, Project 86. One of the best shows ever!
I remember hanging out with Sonny and was my Christian youth group guy and brought him a tape of underground mix tape of hardcore bands and he played it ❤😂
Saw them in 2004 at the electric factory. They were my first concert. They Rocked the party 😜
My dad was in Stryken not Stryper. 😂
OMG Sonny??? This is so awesome to see!
Met Sonny at TOM fest in 96 (I think). Real nice guy, I still have a photo kicking around somewhere. I highly respect the guys like him that were so cool with the kids there.