Daniel Martin Diaz, the artist who did the cover art for P.O.D.’s new Payable On Death album, says it’s “ironic” that the album has been banned by 85 percent of Christian bookstores in the U.S., reportedly because the cover is “occult.” Diaz told Australia’s Undercover.com, “It’s quite ironic that throughout my art career, I have been censored by a reputable art publication and denied inclusion into art exhibitions because my work is too religious. Now my work is being censored by religious outlets. Some folks need to enlighten themselves with art history.”
Fans of the Christian-leaning P.O.D., many of them from the Christian community, have expressed their outrage over the ban at the group’s official website. One fan wrote, “It certainly is a stab in the back, and I have found the Christian Music industry to be very confused by P.O.D….it makes me mad that Christian bookstores no longer support P.O.D., because all they’re doing is going out there and spreading their message to non-Christians and playing in (non-Christian) venues.”
In a mass email, the band themselves encouraged fans to stay away from Christian stores that are not carrying the album.
P.O.D.’s Payable On Death came out on November 4. The band kicks off a North American tour with Linkin Park and Hoobastank in mid-January.
