The Fundamental Elements of Southtown was recorded at three studios in California. The album was mixed at Image Recordings in Los Angeles, California and The Gallery in Sherman Oaks.[1] According to bassist Traa Daniels during an interview in February 2000, the album was recorded in "about three months".[10]
In December 2012, vocalist Sonny Sandoval said the following about working with producer Howard Benson and being signed to a major record label:
He allowed us not only to be ourselves but at the same time we were so stoked to have somebody that actually cared about our music. He gave us this advice and we took it and obviously you're in a real studio and have real instruments. I remember Atlantic Records gave us a budget and we all went out and bought guitars and cabinets just because all our stuff was ghetto. This was big for us.[11]
Album cover artwork
When The Fundamental Elements of Southtown was sold in Christian stores, a censored version of the artwork was used for the album's front cover.[12] Retailers complained about the depiction of a cigar and argued that the artwork featured "pagan" imagery according to a Deseret News article from September 2002.[13][14]
Touring and promotion
In 2000, P.O.D. was a special guest band on Korn's European tour.[15] Later that year, P.O.D. embarked on the "Kings of the Game Tour" with special guests Hed PE, Linkin Park, and Project 86.[16][17]
To promote The Fundamental Elements of Southtown, a cassette tape with the songs "Southtown" and "Rock the Party (Off the Hook)" was released by Atlantic Records in 1999.[18] "Set Your Eyes to Zion" was included on The Mark: A Soundtrack compilation in 2000.[19]
Reception
The Fundamental Elements of Southtown received positive reviews from critics. Cross Rhythms gave the album a perfect score, describing it as "a fine exponent of rap-core at it's finest, and the best album by P.O.D. thus far."[3]
The album was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on March 29, 2000, and later certified platinum on November 6, 2000.
Legacy
In May 2011, album producer Howard Benson described The Fundamental Elements of Southtown as "one of the very first rock records made in Pro Tools that became huge. And then my career was off and running."[20]
In 2017, Loudwire ranked The Fundamental Elements of Southtown as the second best P.O.D. album, saying, "The band’s hunger is infectious on the album" and the "Southtown" single "still sounds impactful and exciting."[21]
In 2018, New Release Today called the album "a pivotal moment for P.O.D." and "simultaneously sludgy and tight in aesthetic from start to finish."[22]
On April 23, 2021, P.O.D. announced on their official YouTube channel a series of live stream concerts called "Satellite Over Southtown".[23] During the series of shows, P.O.D. performed The Fundamental Elements of Southtown live in its entirety on May 27, 2021.[24][25][26]
In August 2024, David Allen, the designer of P.O.D.'s logo, wrote about The Fundamental Elements of Southtown on Instagram, saying the band "supported me and got me hired by Atlantic as a freelance designer. I got to go on the road and contribute some fun images to this album".[27]
The Limited Edition Bonus CD is an EP released on Atlantic Records in 1999.[37] It was given away for free with the purchase of The Fundamental Elements of Southtown.[citation needed] It contains a new version of the song "Draw the Line" (from the 1994 album Snuff the Punk) and a demo recording of "Lie Down" (on The Fundamental Elements of Southtown). It also has the new track "It's About Time", the instrumental demo "Estrella", the intro "Warriors Come Out to Play...", and a track with "Messages for Your Answering Machine". Because of its limited release, the Limited Edition Bonus CD is now considered a collector's item.[citation needed]
Track listing
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Warriors Come Out to Play..."
0:40
2.
"Draw the Line" (Fundamental version)
3:16
3.
"It's About Time" (Demo)
4:13
4.
"Lie Down" (Demo)
4:23
5.
"Estrella" (Demo)
4:33
6.
"Messages for Your Answering Machine"
1:42
Total length:
18:51
References
^ abcThe Fundamental Elements of Southtown (liner notes). P.O.D. Atlantic. 1999. CD 83216.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
