When Angels & Serpents Dance

P.O.D. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0013PVGKO
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,753 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Track Listing 1. Addicted (Album Version) 2. Shine With Me (Album Version) 3. Condescending (Album Version) 4. It Can't Rain Everyday (Album Version) 5. Kaliforn-Eye-A (Album Version) 6. I'll Be Ready (Album Version) 7. End Of The World (Album Version) 8. This Ain't No Ordinary Love Song (Album Version) 9. God Forbid (Album Version) 10. Roman Empire (Album Version) 11. When Angels & Serpents Dance (Album Version) 12. Tell Me Why (Album Version) 13. Rise Against (Album Version)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When Bands & Guitarists Reunite, April 8, 2008

By 

A. Estes (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Angels & Serpents Dance (Audio CD)

Who would have thought that God's favorite rap-rock band, a band which sold millions of records during a very short lived trend, had both the courage and the ability to evolve? On their seventh full-length effort, P.O.D. reunite with original guitarist Marcos Curiel (who was ousted from the band in early 2003) and boldy go where they have never gone before. Shedding their nu-metal skin completely, P.O.D. have managed to serve up their most mature, most soulful, and most unique effort to date.

First things first: this is not the same P.O.D. you rocked on your discman in high school. To be blunt, if you are expecting a return to the golden "Satellite" era, you will be sorely disappointed. The hip-hop element has almost dissolved and given way to a much more original sound. Like Linkin Park's "Minutes To Midnight," but to a lesser extent, "When Angels & Serpents Dance" shows a band who doesn't want to remain a relic of a faded genre. Take a few listens to this album with an open mind, and you're likely to agree that this is the best thing they have done since 2001.

The whole album sounds centered around the return of Curiel, and it's a welcome breath of fresh air. Marcos' riffing is what originally defined the band, and he effortlessly carries the band into progression. Songs like "Shine With Me," "Condescending" and "Rise Against" are his stage and are likely to please even the most jaded of fans. Elsewhere, the band as a whole takes giant leaps towards a new sound. "It Can't Rain Everyday" is an example of the refined melodic sense the band gained on 2006's "Testify," taking P.O.D,'s sound in an unexpected direction. There are all sorts of little surprises like that one peppered through the album. "Roman Empire" is the best instrumental the band has created to date -- simply gorgeous. "God Forbid," which features the voice of Helmet, Page Hamilton, is the grungiest P.O.D. have gone to date, while "Kaliforn-Eye-A" delivers a deliciously decadent blast of hardcore with Suicidal Tendencies' Mike Muir in tow. Simply put, there's plenty of variety to be found and not a band song among the bunch.

Sure, this isn't the P.O.D. you are used to. Yes, it definitely takes a few spins (and some really good speakers) to appreciate, but it's hardly a disappointment or a step backwards for anyone willing to give it a chance. If anything, P.O.D. have ensured that they have a bold future ahead of them. They have managed to rid themselves of a trendy stigma without giving way to convention. What more could you ask for?

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a skeptic turned into a lover, April 8, 2008

By 

Steven Wallace "white boy" (springy dingy, MO MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Angels & Serpents Dance (Audio CD)

ok. I think it should be safe to say that I am a huge POD fan. I have been a representative on their street team for 4 of their 5 major label releases. but for some reason when Marcos came back... and when they released their new single "addicted" I was a bit skeptical.
sure... I did like it a lot
and I was happy that Marcos was back
but I was expecting a return to Satellite which sold them over 4 million records worldwide.
but then I heard the entire album and why they chose "addicted" as the single I do not know.
I am a big fan of this band so on every album I have found enjoyment in just about every track... if a song was not the best or catchiest musically it never really mattered to me because Sonny always had something to say that I could relate with or that would inspire me.
but on this album...
(perchance one song)
EVERY SONG (in my opinion) could be a single
the only way that "condescending" was not their single, in my opinion, is that the chorus has vocal layers and might be a bit hard to understand on a radio level
but why they did not choose
"end of the world"
"it can't rain all the time"
"shine with me"
or the title track "when angels and serpents dance" as the main single
I do not know

this album is a refreshing step in a musical way for POD for me.
I expect it to win back a lot of the fans who left when Marcos did...
and not just because he is back in the fold
but because these songs are that good!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Welcome Back Marcos!, April 8, 2008

By 

J. Higgins (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Angels & Serpents Dance (Audio CD)

This is definitely a progression from POD's recent releases with the welcoming back of guitarist Marcos. This album is a great mix of classic POD style rock and a more ballads than we have seen before (think Set Your Eyes to Zion and Youth of the Nation). POD recaptures the magic from past works like Satellite. The album is great listened through, start to finish. The message of the album, "This life is a dance, who is going to lead you? When Angels and Serpents Dance" permeates throughout with the traditional uplifting and encouraging lyrics we have come to expect from Sunny.

The stylistic difference in having Marcos back is very evident, and pleasing to hear.

In summary, Welcome back Marcos! You were missed!