P.O.D. 'Murdered Love' Pre-Order Bundles Announced

P.O.D. has announced pre-order bundles for their upcoming album Murdered Love, set to be released July 10th. There's three different sets of bundles to choose from; Just The Music Bundle, Shirt Bundle, and Warrior Bundle. P.O.D.'s newsletter states, "All tiers will come with a CD, album digital download and an instant download of the song "Lost In Forever." "  

Source: Razor & Tie

It looks like the big difference between the Warrior bundle and the other two is the Murdered Love jersey and the SIGNED album artwork lithograph.  

Murdered Love pre-orders can be purchased from www.payableondeath.com.

P.O.D. Release Music Video For "Lost In Forever (Scream)," Set To Sci-Fi Theme

California rockers P.O.D. have released the music video for their first single "Lost In Forever (Scream)" off of their upcoming Razor & Tie debut, Murdered Love. The sci-fi themed music video, directed by Spence Nicholson, made its premier on Vevo and has already hit the 300,00 views mark on Youtube.  The music video for "Lost In Forever (Scream)" can be viewed below:

Purchase "Lost in Forever (Scream)" on Amazon or iTunes.

LOVE AND DEATH, ‘CHEMICALS EP’ – ALBUM REVIEW

With a new band name, Brian 'Head' Welch returns with Chemicals EP which contains his heaviest and most melodic collection in some time.

Source: Loudwire.com

Ex-Korn guitarist, Brian 'Head' Welch, has been busy working on an upcoming album due out before the end of 2012. He and fellow bandmates recently re-branded their band with the name Love and Death and decided to go the EP route and releaseChemicals EP, which was a smart and much appreciated move for the fans that are itching to get a listen to new material from the band.

Chemicals EP signals a positive direction for Brian Welch. Brian 'Head' Welch's solo debut was a mammoth release and a solid album, but this new material just feels more polished and heavier. Everything just seems fresh and the bandmates have now become a band on this EP. Chemicals EP comes in strong with the pounding first track "Paralyzed." Fans of Welch's early days will be happy to hear that this song is immediately reminiscent of Brian's Korn days as seen on the opening riff. With what may be Welch's heaviest song in years, "Paralyzed" delivers on every level. Lyrically the track is powerful and Brian has never sounded better vocally, either. "Paralyzed" also reaches new grounds on a melodic level, packing a monstrous chorus.

A surprising cover of Devo's "Whip It" makes this EP remarkably unique. Featuring Matt Baird of Spoken, "Whip It" combines a catchy hook with heavy guitars and powerful screams. The band's latest radio single "Chemicals" is the third track on the EP, standing as another impressive new track for the band. The intro is heavy once again, with driving percussion and low tuned guitars. Brian's signature distorted tremolo guitar is also beautifully present on this song. The verses feel fresh and new, while each chorus sounds huge and melodic. The guitars on the chorus have a level of depth that is a staple of Welch's signature sound. The song ends with a Korn-like riff that is another welcomed heavy moment for the band.

The EP is finished off with two impressive remixes of "Paralyzed" and "Chemicals" that add a level of depth to the EP. While I wish the EP had one more new track, Chemicals EP is a brilliant taste of Love and Death's future endeavors and a much needed release for hard rock music.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Purchase Chemicals EP on Amazon or iTunes.

P.O.D. Releases New Song "Eyez" Featuring Jamey Jasta For Free Download, New Album Entitled 'Murdered Love'

Southtown rockers P.O.D. have released the first track, entitled "Eyez," off of their upcoming album, available for free on their website www.payableondeath.com and on their YouTube channel (The P.O.D. Channel). The new song features vocals from Jamey Jasta (lead singer of Hatebreed) and is a hard-hitting throwback to the early days of P.O.D.

According to Blabbermouth.net, the new album, boldly named Murdered Love, is being produced by Howard Benson (Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry) who also worked on the band's Satellite record. Murdered Love is the much anticipated follow up to the 2008 album When Angels & Serpents Dance. The album is slated for a July 10th release. The new song "Eyez" from P.O.D.'s YouTube channel can be seen below:

P.O.D., ‘LOST IN FOREVER (SCREAM)’ – SONG REVIEW

The band that brought the world hits such as "Southtown," "Alive," and "Youth of the Nation," is back, and in a big way. It's been nearly 4 years since P.O.D. released the album When Angels & Serpents Dance which welcomed back founding member Marcos Curiel on guitar and saw the band on INO/Columbia records. Since then P.O.D. has released a demo track entitled "On Fire," leaked a new song "Eyez" from their upcoming album, as well as moving on to a new label; Razor & Tie. Along with joining the label the band has finished a brand new album, entitled Murdered Love, after reuniting with producer Howard Benson (Three Doors Down, Kelly Clarkson) who also worked on the band's hugely successful Satellite album.

Source: Loudwire.com

The first single off of Murdered Love is notably named "Lost In Forever (Scream)" and is a welcome progression for the South San Diego rockers. For years, die hard fans have been eagerly awaiting a return to P.O.D.'s older sound seen in previous albums such as 1999's The Fundamental Elements of Southtown and 2001's Satellite. While the 2008 album When Angels & Serpents Dance was a powerful record, there was a raw sound that was clearly missing from the album. "Lost In Forever (Scream)" brings back the raw, edgy sound that die hard fans have been craving and shows that P.O.D. is still in the game. The song bares a striking resemblance to their Satellite album's title-track "Satellite," containing elements of older and newer P.O.D. which feels classic and progressive at the same time. There is a distinctively new sound here mixed in with the old which features Marcos' classic distorted guitar licks with drummer Wuv's technical, yet perfectly fitting beats. Even Marcos' open string galloping makes a welcomed return on the new track. The vocals on the song are also where older P.O.D. meets the bands newer sound. Vocalist Sonny Sandoval chooses to sing rather than rap, while he truly shines on "Lost In Forever (Scream)," displaying raw vocal talent. The verses have a refreshing vocal edge to them where Sonny finely walks the line between rapping and singing. The vocals and lyrics are passionately delivered (as always) while bassist Traa brings noticeable body to the track. The choruses are big and catchy as well, which seems to hark back to the essence of "Alive." The single honestly feels like older P.O.D. and has an airy, full sound (complete with plenty of signature P.O.D. background effects) which is reminiscent of the Satellite days.

The theme of "space" seems to be prevalent on "Lost In Forever (Scream)" as well as in P.O.D.'s promo pictures, showing a possible link to the band's Satellite era. "Lost In Forever (Scream)" is a perfect blend of old and new P.O.D. while still managing to sound fresh and relevant. Murdered Love promises to have a good mix of heavy and melodic songs and if "Lost In Forever (Scream)" is any indication of the melodic side of the new album, then the July 10th release date will not come fast enough.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Purchase "Lost in Forever (Scream)" on Amazon or iTunes.

SHINEDOWN, ‘AMARYLLIS’ – ALBUM REVIEW

In a world where bands are deserting the sound that brought them notoriety, artists that stay true to who they are have become scarce. Shinedown is one of those bands that have stayed true to their roots over the years. From their debut album Leave a Whisper to their latest release Amaryllis, Shinedown has continued to deliver quality rock for our listening enjoyment.

Source: Shinedown.com

Being nearly 4 years since Jacksonville-based Shinedown released The Sound of Madness, one was bound to be curious what their fourth studio album would sound like. Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Paramore, My Chemical Romance),Amaryllis is classic Shinedown from the opening guitar and drum riffs of "Adrenaline" to the beautiful acoustic guitar arpeggios of "Through the Ghost." This album flows extremely well, while serving up a collection of agressive, emotion-driven, and catchy tracks. Hard rock anthems reminiscent of "Fly from the Inside" and "Sound of Madness" are still here in the songs "Adrenaline," the lead-single "Bully," and "My Name (Wearing Me Out)."

Tunes such as the title track "Amaryllis," "Unity," and "Miracle" continue the same formula as Shinedown's previous rock-ballad songs such as "Second Chance" and "If You Only Knew." There is even a collection of less mainstream rock tracks on the new album, particularly the eerie "I'm Not Alright" and "Nowhere Kids." However, the award for standout track on this album should be given to the song "For My Sake." Shinedown has brought back the deep and hauntingly honest sound of "Burning Bright" along with the motivation-driven lyrical stylings of "In Memory" to the entire track of "For My Sake." The rock-driven intro, the soul-searching verses, the powerful rock choruses, and the truly incredible outro all make "For My Sake" one of the best Shinedown songs to date. Don't get me wrong, "For My Sake" feels brand new while still containing elements of the same sound that the band has made popular for years. The song ends with what just might be one of the most honest and powerful statements ever sung by lead singer Brent Smith,"I'm never lookin' back, for my sake."

Amidst the punishing rock anthems there is a welcomed softer side to Shinedown as seen in the piano and guitar solo driven "I'll Follow You" and the acoustic brilliance that is "Through The Ghost." These tracks add a level of depth and body to the album while being far from fillers. Lyrics such as, "So many silent sorrows you'll never hear from again / And now that you lost tomorrow, is yesterday still a friend? / All the bridges that we built will burn / Not a single lesson was learned / Everything that mattered is just / A city of dust / Covering both of us" illustrate the haunting honesty of "Through the Ghost" and show off the sheer songwriting talent of Shinedown.

Although I wish that the album was longer, Amaryllis is honestly a great rock record. It is the record that Shinedown has worked towards all these years, serving as their The Joshua Tree, so to speak. Having already achieved mainstream success, the band continues to deliver quality rock tunes that truely cement them in the rock music "stratosphere."

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Purchase Amaryllis on Amazon or iTunes.