P.O.D. Sonny Sandoval-lead vocals, Wuv Bernado-drums/rhythm guitar, Traa Daniels-bass guitar, Marcos Curiel-lead guitar/programming
P.O.D. is a very famous Christian reap-metal band, even in the mainstream arena. They come out of of southern California and seem to be quite proud of it. The guitars are a very important part of their music and the band likes to get a good riff going before the vocals kick in. Depending on the track, they can be high-energy, building up and layering the sound and then exploding into a chorus or they can be low-energy, slow and deliberate. The lyrics are usually easy to understand, though they can fly at you pretty fast. Sonny has a sort of accent that makes the vocals for P.O.D. quite distinctive. P.O.D. has been around since 1992, so they've had a long time to hone their sound and get everything just as they want it. The result is that all their songs have a very smooth, well-polished sound.
Boom
Youth of the Nation
Alive
Pillar Rob Beckley-lead vocals/rhythm guitar, Noah Henson-lead guitar, Rich Gilliand-bass/vocals, Taylor Carol-drums
Pillar is another band from the 90s, this one from 1998. Pillar definitely has a heavier emphasis on the metal part of their music than on the rap, at least for the more recent releases, but the influence is still there in the rhythmic, rhyming lyrics and in some of their tracks (especially the older ones) it comes out more strongly. Their music is marked by heavier guitars, and greater use of effects. As far as the vocals go, Pillar is very clear and the words are not sung to quickly to understand. Typically, their songs have upbeat tempos and are lyrically positive. A lot of the music deals with encouragement or call-to-arms type subject matter.
The Reckoning
Frontline
Fireproof
Modern Day John
Modern Day John is a little-known rap-metal band out of Texas, which sadly, is no longer together. They are heavy on the rap, heavy on the metal, and they have some screamo thrown into the mix as well, which can be a little jarring, but generally works pretty well. The music within each song alternates between slow, calm portions and heavy, fast portions. Modern Day John also does a good job of alternating between sung vocals (which float by slowly) and rapped vocals (which fire out at a rapid staccato), which gives the whole sound a nicely varied effect. This is definitely a more intense band than Pillar or P.O.D., with a darker sound.
The only song I found on YouTube was Sigh and Breathe, but there are more on their myspace page.
Sigh and Breathe
Justifide Ian Metzger-vocals, Jason Moncivaiz-Drums, Sambo Moncivaiz-Bass, Joey Avalos-Guitar
Justifide is a band that comes out of some rough circumstances: drugs, alcohol, and a broken family. But God led them out of their circumstances and now they have some real things to sing about. The band no longer exists as Justifide, but has moved on as Reform the Resistance. The band is, in some ways, similar to Modern Day John, with the raw sound and the (sometimes) darker mood of the songs. However, they tend to have as much rock as they do rap, perhaps even more so. Justifide is also a heavier band, with a lot of intensity to their sound and a lot of weight to their lyrics. Not all their songs are necessarily dark; many of them are about joy, but they don't gloss over anything.
Change
Pointing Fingers
9 out of 10
