P.O.D. IS C.O.D. WITH "ALIVE"

The Atlantic Records band, whose sophomore album, Satellite, debuted in the Top 10 Sept. 18 on sales of more than 115k, first gained notoriety for combining metal-reggae-thrash riffs with Christian beliefs, which catapulted their ’99 bow, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, to 900k in OTC sales.

Now, "Alive," the first track from the new record, has been embraced as an inspirational anthem in the wake of the terrorist attacks (it’s one of only a few songs in this category not sung by either Lee Greenwood or Kate Smith). As a result, the album has bounced back into the Top 10 this week with more than 85k in sales.

P.O.D. is a regular multicultural melting pot. The members include a pair of Guamanian-Italian cousins (singer/lyricist Sonny Sandoval and drummer Noah "Wuv" Bernardo), a Chicano punk-rock guitarist (Marcos Curiel) and a funky African-American bassist from Cleveland (Traa Daniels). They formed in San Ysidro, a city of 45,000 just this side of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Atlantic Executive VP/GM Ron Shapiro took time off from stocking up on War Bonds to explain that the band has offered inspiration to young fans grappling with the tragedy. "This is a group of guys who try to answer the questions their fans are asking. They came from a very difficult background to offer hope in the midst of their own personal horror. How can you not feel a pull to people who try to pick themselves up and have a positive impact in the midst of what they’ve gone through?"

The video is currently #3 Most Played at MTV and #2 Most Played at MTV2, with Active Rock and PoMo radio following suit. The group performs on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Friday (10/5) and begins a headlining tour Oct. 18.

Exec. VP Andrea Ganis credits the work of her national Rock and PoMo promotion departments and the label’s field staff for the success of Alive: "The record was established at radio even before the attack took place."

Shapiro adds that P.O.D.’s success has been the result of long-term artist development through two albums: "The truth is, even music as powerful, provocative and meaningful as this can only be successful if it’s worked."

Shapiro says the album is deep, and he looks forward to the release of the second single, "Youth of the Nation"—the band’s reaction to the shootings at Santana High School in nearby Santee, CA, where a student opened fire, killing two and wounding 13.

"There could not be a more perfect follow-up," he asserts, "because the song reflects on the impact that all the horror has had on our young people and what they can do in the face of that. Thank God there is a band like P.O.D. and a record with the ability to move our kids when they’re hurting, as we all are. And at the same time, they’re a kick-ass rock & roll band."