CD Mascot Records (2018) US P.O.D.'s tenth studio album, Circles, marks another leap forward, and Mascot Records is stoked to release the California rockers' new album, their debut on the label, on November 16. The album is the San Diego band's first since 2015's The Awakening, and comes at a time when the group is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. In the last few years, P.O.D. have performed at the Download Festival, Hellfest, Rock on the Range, River City Rockfest, Carolina Rebellion, and Aftershock Festival, as well as shared stages with In This Moment, Prophets of Rage, Shinedown, and Five Finger Death Punch. On Circles, P.O.D. collaborated with an L.A.-based production duo called the Heavy, who ensured the album is contemporary-sounding without losing any of the band's core sonic signifiers. The rap-driven "Rockin' With The Best" has an old-school P.O.D. sound that nods to the Beastie Boys, while "Always Southern California" is a reggae-inflected rocker and the groove-heavy "Soundboy Killa" is a hip-hop/metal hybrid. The dynamic title track even boasts moody electronic flourishes, glassy piano, and laid-back rapping verses. "On Circles, we didn't limit ourselves and say, 'Hey, we need to please the metal crowd, or the hardcore crowd, or the punk crowd,'" says frontman Sonny Sandoval. "We just wanted to play and write songs that we hope are relevant and catchy to a new audience—while, at the same time, still being true to ourselves."
