“I and Identify” defines love using adjectives similar to those in 1 Corinthians 13. References to God (P.O.D. prefers the KJV term “Jah”) appear on “Execute the Sounds,” “Wildfire” and “Freedom Fighters.” The band encourages listeners to “Change the World” (“Break the cycle, find your rhythm/Share the gift that you’ve been given”). “Revolution” condemns injustice, prejudice and discrimination. Other cuts give hope to the lost (“Find My Way”) and ponder mankind’s myopic lack of empathy (“The Reasons”).
The lyrics are solid, but families may be put off by gothic album art featuring a detached arm, a skull, cabalistic symbols and a barely covered female with butterfly wings.
This release isn’t as explicitly Christian as P.O.D.’s recent Satellite or The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. Still, it’s great to hear positive messages coming out of a genre known for anger and despair. The fact that the band has the ear of the mainstream is a bonus.
