Legacy
In an article by Cross Rhythms from February 2001,drummer Wuv Bernardo,following the success of The Fundamental Elements of Southtown and the impact it had on the band,said "We've been full time for six years and now it's stepped up to a different level." [26] Vocalist Sonny Sandoval said P.O.D. had been "completely blown away by the success of the album" according to an interview in July 2021. [27]
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." [28]
In October 2011,a piece by Jesus Freak Hideout said P.O.D. "achieved their initial mainstream success" because of the album. [29]
In September 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." [30] In January 2025,the publication ranked The Fundamental Elements of Southtown at #21 on their list of "The Top 50 Nu-Metal Albums of All Time (Ranked)",saying it "amplified the "coolness" factor and brought more reggae stylings to the band's already successful sound" and the songs "read as fully realized and intentioned." [31]
In December 2017,"Set Your Eyes to Zion" and "Southtown" were ranked at #9 and #5,respectively,on "The 10 best P.O.D. songs" list by Louder Sound. [32]
In March 2018,Heaven's Metal Magazine ranked The Fundamental Elements of Southtown at #69 on their "Top 100 Christian Metal Albums of all Time" list,saying,"This breakthrough release was huge." [33]
In August 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." [34]
In October 2020,Andrew Voigt of HM Magazine said he listened to the album "religiously",saying P.O.D. "offered heaviness,passion,and hope in an innovative way that other bands of that era hadn’t figured out and would later frequently try to imitate." [35]
On April 23,2021,P.O.D. announced on their official YouTube channel a series of live stream concerts called "Satellite Over Southtown". [36] During the series of shows,P.O.D. performed The Fundamental Elements of Southtown live in its entirety on May 27,2021. [37] [38] [39]
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". [40]
During a September 2024 interview with Sonny Sandoval,Riff Magazine said about The Fundamental Elements of Southtown,"The record spawned a pair of hits and its faith-based message got the attention of the gospel music industry". [41]
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