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33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deserve Way More Praise, August 13, 2002
Ferocity and anger at the world and with yourself are extremely heartfelt and sought after topics today in the music industry. However, it is extremely rare to here a band that doesn't utter an obscenity or blame their parents because of their misfortune (a term I use loosely, becuase they do have a record contract.) Very rarely does one see a band that can combine pain with healing words, and can come away without sounding preachy or over-emotional. 12 Stones does this without a hitch, and puts together a fine CD. Paul McCoy, the lead singer, is the pinnacle of versatility, as his screaming does not sound like a little boy's, but rather very developed. However, McCoy chooses to balance his screaming and sing as well, and when tracks like 'The Way I Feel' are heard, you will fall in love with his singing voice as well. The guitars on this album are incredible as well. Repetitive riffs just do not seem to be his bag, as solo after awesome solo assault your ears and make you wonder how a guitarist as young as he is could write such melodies. The drums are good as well, and the basslines are a pretty spectacular feat all in themselves. The songs on this album deal with questioning in a higher power's existence, the pain of abandonment, seeking refuge when the world is against you, and being on that spiritual high. 12 Stones is a Christian band, but like POD and Blindside choose to be on a secular label and stay in the shadows, not being too preachy, and intriguing people with their subtle views and lyrics that hold much more depth upon closer analysis. This band is awesome, and their lyrics and their vibe show that they are out to do more than just make some dough in the music industry. This album has emotion, it has anger, and it is poetic. It's a good thing bands like 12 Stones exist, and makes me wonder where America's tastes are headed if they continue to get no airplay and bands like Slipknot and Mudvayne continue to sell shirts, CD's and hats by the truckload.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Get broken without going broke! What a deal!, May 29, 2002
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.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, March 16, 2004
I really am not a fan of Evanescence, but thats how I found out abou 12 Stones, in the small part he had in Bring Me To Life. I thought his voice sounded good, so I listened to a few of the songs on Amazon and bought it. I thought it was amazing. Theyre just good, plain hard rock. Very good lyrics, and at times can be very emotional. Paul McCoy can sing very well, but he can growl equally as well, and its nice when thats thrown in. These guys really have alot of talent, McCoys singing, plus the addition of GUITAR SOLOS, this band has everything that a good hard rock band needs. Theyre not very popular right now, but they will be very soon, I know it. The best tracks on this album, although its hard to just choose a few, I would say are "Crash" "Running Out Of Pain" and "Open Your Eyes". This is one of those rare CDs where every song is exceptional. I would really recommend this CD to anybody, check them out. Im sure youll find alot to like.P.S.-New CD from 12 Stones, out this summer!
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by 12 Stones 
