Wiki
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Release Date
14 August 2007
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Length
11 tracks
Finally, after 3 years, the hard rock/post-grunge band 12 Stones have returned with their third effort, Anthem For The Underdog. As you probably already know, 12 Stones caught our attention when front man Paul McCoy was featured in the highly misinterpreted Evanescence hit, "Bring Me to Life." They have also been featured in the media numerous times, from WWE to the Elektra Soundtrack (along with Switchfoot). So, with that being said, does this record really reflect upon that success? Or will they still be considered underdogs despite their success?
First things first - this album doesn't necessarily break any new ground. Most of what you hear will remind you of acts such as Nickelback, Daughtry, Creed, Puddle of Mudd, and even a hint of Nirvana. That's not to say that this isn't an effort worth listening to. The tracks on this record are relatively catchy and it doesn't take many spins to get you into the high energetic rock sound it has to offer. From the first track, "Anthem for the Underdog," the album wastes no time giving the best it has to offer, in terms of energy and lyrical content. Anthem for the Underdog is exactly what the title suggests; an anthem for Christians considered born to lose. Tracks such as "Lie to Me," "Broken Road" (which slightly resembles Nickelback's "How You Remind Me"), and "Games You Play" discuss broken relationships. While others, like "It was You," bring forward a worship atmosphere. One true highlight would have to be "This Dark Day." This song encourages the listener that there is hope in any seemingly hopeless situation, "I'll close my eyes and I'll drift away/I'll make it through my darkest day." Rather than holding on to drugs, it's better to hold on to Jesus. Unfortunately, 12 Stones doesn't make it clear enought that Jesus is the obvious hope for making it through the darkest days.
"World So Cold" starts out a bit dull but later expands to become another energetic rock ballad. One of the catchiest tracks on the record is "Arms of a Stranger," though it does sound heavily influenced by artists like Daughtry. That again brings me to the realization that this record has little to no originality to offer. However, the strong and encouraging lyrical content saves this album from just becoming another mainstream clone, waiting to be forgotten about within a year. After "Hey Love" and "Games You Play," the album modestly closes with an acoustic version of "Lie to Me."
All in all, this album is good. Fans of 12 stones will enjoy it and probably consider this their greatest effort, and to honest, it most definitely is. With songs like "Anthem For The Underdog," "Adrenaline," and "Games You Play," it's clear that you'll find enough energy to have you rocking for months, or at least until they release their next record. This album would most likely please most mainstream rock fans and radio fans alike. So, with that being said, this album is truly worth checking out.
Anthem for the Underdog is third album by rock band 12 Stones. It was released on August 14, 2007. The first single is "Lie to Me", which is available to listen on 12 Stones' MySpace and official website along with the second single "Anthem For The Underdog". Both singles have charted in the top 30 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, while "It Was You" charted in the top 10 on Christian Rock charts. The current single is the song "Adrenaline" which was the theme song for the Met-Rx World's Strongest Man competition in 2007.
The song "World So Cold" was used in a tribute video found on YouTube for the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre shooting. In a bulletin posted on the band's MySpace page, the band said that they were surprised the song surfaced because it had not been released.
The track "Broken Road" was co-written with former American Idol contestant and Daughtry frontman Chris Daughtry.
The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at Number 53.
As Of February 2009 the Album has sold 498,523 in the United States copies and has been certified Gold by the RIAA
Bounus Tracks:
"Once in a Lifetime" - 3:51 (Exclusive to iTunes)
"It Was You" (acoustic)- 3:28 (Exclusive to Wal-Mart Music Downloads)
Mainstream Rock
1 "Lie to Me" Ranked #24 in: Mainstream Rock
2 "Anthem for the Underdog" Ranked #26 In: Mainstream Rock
3 "Adrenaline" Ranked #23 In: Mainstream Rock
4 "Broken Road" Rank Is Unkwown
The videos for "Adrenaline" and "Anthem for the Underdog" feature clips from the movies Rambo (film) and Never Back Down, respectively
An Unreleased Song: "If I Could" - 3:50
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