12 Stones Album: “12 Stones”

From the label that unleashed Creed to the unwitting masses comes the young upstarts 12 Stones, who defy all cool-band-name principle and set an all-new trend by putting a number at the beginning of their name instead of at the end. Seriously, though, these guys have some eye-opening potential as a hard rock band. Their sound is very similar to Creed, but just a teeny bit heavier; in fact, the opening track ("Crash") reminded me a lot of the opening of Creed's first album. (Okay, enough about Creed already.) These guys actually try to establish a sound of their own, but from this first effort, it may take a while. But hey, at least it sounds like they're trying. 12 Stones is pretty rough around the edges when it comes to coloring outside the lines; most of the songs (okay, all of them) have almost exactly the same beat, and riffs from early on show up again later in the album. That's not to say that there aren't a couple of eyebrow-raising tracks in here, though. "Broken" is a definite stunner, with scream-along vocals tinging the start and finish and a powerful beat (but don't worry if you miss it, you'll hear it again later). "Step Up" gets in your face a bit, and "Open Your Eyes" has a decent sing-along melody. What made me smile the most about these guys, though, is that while Creed only sprinkle their songs with a few spiritual overtones, 12 Stones are quite a bit more straightforward about their faith. Just by the lyrics, you know they're a Christian band, yet they deliver the message with subtlety. It's nice to see them starting off on a big mainstream label, too. ("My Life" even made the "Scorpion King" soundtrack.) While they're not the hottest new thing on the hard rock scene yet, once their sound matures a bit and they start experimenting a little more beat-wise, I think they'll turn some heads in the long run. It's worth the price to see for yourself, at least.

This CD is awesome! I've been looking for a CD like this with the same type of sound as Creed and Lifehouse but with more Christian lyrics. Even though I consider 12 Stones a

middle of the road band (could be Christian or Secular) like P.O.D., they offer a difference. The difference is that they talk about their problems in their lives like Creed

and Lifehouse do, but 12 Stones offers an alternative in the lyrics, saying that there is Someone to turn to, which is God, so that you can get help with your problems. With Creed and Lifehouse, you have to guess at the interpretation of the lyrics, but with 12 Stones, it's more obvious. Don't get me wrong, I like the sounds of Creed and Lifehouse

and Scott Stapp's singing, but not really the lyrics. For me, I listen to this as a more Christian alternative to Creed and Lifehouse.

Even though the whole album is excellent (I haven't put it down since I bought it on

So far, this CD is the best I've heard all year with Pillar's "Fireproof" very close behind.

I saw these guys in concert with Theory of a Deadman and Three Doors Down, and I am so glad I did. This album is definite worth a listen. I don't really compare them with Creed except to say that they share the same label. The live performance these guys put on tells me that they put 200% into their music. They are full of energy and are extremely passionate about what they are doing. If you don't have this album, buy it!!!

The debut album for 12 Stones, a band out of Mandeville, LA, is nothing short of outstanding.

Several tracks on the album are excellent, including Broken, The Way I Feel, Home, Fade Away, Back Up and Eric's Song to name a few.

The comparisons to Creed are not justified because in my view, this debut album is far better sounding than Creed's debut. Yes, Creed and 12 Stones are both on Wind Up Records, but for me, the comparison ends there. The lyrics on the album are well thought out and have a lot of meanings and references to Christ, but I wouldn't really consider 12 Stones to be a so-called Christian band. Let's also keep in mind that this band has been together for less than two years and they've already achieved a great piece of artwork like this.

If I had to put a category on the type of music this is, I could classify it as modern rock. Any fans who are into groups like Linkin Park or Incubus should definitely give it a listen. It will definitely be in my CD player for months to come.

I think this is a great band. I decided to check them out after seeing them on a tv commercial. I was not disapointed. I know music and this is a great band. I still don't think they'll get far because of so many non-diverse bands out there, hopefully I am wrong. I strongly recomened this disc to everyone who likes Linkin Park, Godsmack, or Incubus.