P.O.D – Extreme Christian Music – Wuv, An Extreme Christian Drummer!
P.O.D – Are they Christian metal? Are they Christian Rap? Not sure, but they are unique, extreme, and one of my favorite bands. Over the last two decades, P.O.D has sold over 10 million albums (including 2001’s triple platinum record Satellite)!
At the helm of that success is Noah ‘Wuv’ Bernardo, my favorite drummer, and a true man of God! He brings the beats to P.O.D. (Payable On Death). With a new album (Murdered Love) and a killer tour co-headlining with Flyleaf, this mainstay of a Christian rock scene has something to say, and their loyal fans are here to listen.
From three Grammy award nominations, to numerous songs on movie soundtracks, whether you are a Christian or not, you’ve most likely jammed to a P.O.D. song. They have a little something for everybody. P.O.D’s live shows will leave you exhausted. They give it their all show after show, while telling the world of God’s love and the Gospel… one city and one show at a time!
Wuv is a founding member of the group. He not only plays drums, he also does percussion, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals. Murdered Love is their eighth studio album for which they reunited with longtime producer and friend Howard Benson. Howard also produced P.O.D.’s The Fundamental Elements of Southtown and Satellite albums. Murdered Love features some special musical guests including Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, and Sick Jacken of the band Psycho Realm. Every song on the album resonates with a lot of energy. It contains the rap metal feel you’ve come to expect from every P.O.D. album.
My favorite song on this recent CD is “Bad Boy”. I additionally recommend “Lost in Forever” and “Beautiful” just to your blood pumping.
I chatted with Wuv just before he destroyed the stage in Nashville:
I like the new video for “Beautiful.” Did you shoot this video back home, and whose idea was it to use the tall creepy guy with the goggles?
We shot this video in two separate places. We shot the first part LA near Ventura, and the second half in New Jersey. The tall creepy goggle guy was our director’s idea.
You just got off tour with Flyleaf. How did that go?
The tour with Flyleaf went very well. We love and respect that band, so it was an easy tour. And the fans came out; it was a big success.
Are you doing a drum solo on this tour?
No, we’ve never been big as a band on solos. Plus we’ve got so many records and songs after twenty-one years, there’s not enough time as it is to play all the songs we want to.
Who influenced your drumming style growing up?
I had many influences, but if I had to choose, Stewart Copland of the band The Police, and Grizzly from the reggae band Steel Pulse.
The new album is called Murdered Love, and it’s incredible! What is your favorite track from it?
I actually love playing the title track “Murdered Love.”
What is your favorite Bible verse?
Off the top of my head, my favorite verse is Mathew 10:28. It basically says never fear man or this world, but rather fear God himself.
What do you think of Henry Winkler aka “The Fonz” playing your song “Here Comes the Boom” in the movie of the same name?
We all thought that was pretty cool. We always love to see and hear our songs in movies. It just gives our songs that much more life and staying power.
