Call it Life Metal. P.O.D. (Payable on Death) rocks like a modern metal band, but their inspiration and focus hardly fit the heavy rock stereotype. Eschewing the nihilism and Goth and gore trappings of nu-metal contemporaries such as Staind, Slipknot, and Korn, P.O.D. views their music as a vehicle for redemption and righteous release. Though often incorrectly pigeonholed as strictly a Christian band, (the band members, who are Christians, prefer to call it spiritual music), they definitely offer a positive message amidst the grinding guitars and pounding drums. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine other mainstream metal bands singing about how much they respect their parents, or delivering such lyrics as “I’ll trust in love” and “I feel so alive,” especially with the kind of force and sincerity of P.O.D. Influenced by the sounds of Rage Against the Machine and rap-metal acts like Limp Bizkit, P.O.D. melt funk-infused bass lines, a hip hop vocal delivery, and reggae into their metal to create a driving, high energy mix of styles. Led by the powerful vocals of lead singer Sonny Sandoval, the band delivers furious anthems (“Alive,” “Youth of a Nation”) and relatively softer, more melodic tracks (“Celestial,” “Thinking About Forever”) on Satellite, making it their strongest and most consistent album.