12 Stones

Rock band 12 Stones made a huge splash in Christian music with their self-titled debut in 2002 for Wind Up Records.

Their huge hits that left an impact on not only Christian radio, but also rock radio were "Broken" and "The Way I Feel." The infectiousness of these two tracks, the first being heavy and driving, and the latter being more of a rock ballad, had audiences gushing with excitement for the band.

"Cause I'm broken, You know I need You now" became an anthem sung at youth groups and concerts as the song is an obvious yet, non-explicit cry out to God for help. "I'm broken, take the pain away," lead singer Paul McCoy sings.

The opening chords of “The Way I Feel” are so distinct and impressionable even all these years later. The thumping bass and steady drums coupled with that guitar set the mood perfectly for the message of the song. “Cause I hate the way I feel tonight, and I know I need you in my life/Yes, I hate the way I feel inside, and I promise to make the sacrifice,” the chorus goes.

Another song that served as a single was the opening track, “Crash,” which really just sets the tone for the whole album with heavy guitars and an even heavier metal sounding bridge.

The album mainly swings toward the heavy side with screaming laid throughout. “Fade Away” and “Soulfire” are among the heaviest tracks on the album as McCoy enters his deepest roars.

Over the years, 12 Stones songs have been a WWE favorite for Pay Per Views and promotions, and this album includes many instances of that. The PPV Judgment Day used “Broken” while “Home” was featured as a song for Kurt Angle’s WWE Desire video. In ‘Cheating Death, Stealing Life – The Eddie Guerrero Story’, the songs “Back Up” and “Running Out of Pain” were used. “Back Up” returned in 2004 for Shawn Michaels’ and Triple H’s Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood 2004, and was also rumored to be the Rock’s entrance song before the idea was scrapped.

12 Stones' popularity was also boosted in 2003 by their label mates Evanescence with the release of their album Fallen. McCoy appeared on the band's smash single "Bring Me to Life," singing the counterpoint to Amy Lee's vocals. The song has become a nu-metal staple, and has gone double platinum. The "Bring Me to Life" video is quite popular as well, with McCoy making an appearance there. Interestingly enough, McCoy's vocals on this track are more of a rap than him singing, which garnered comparisons to Linkin Park.

Today 12 Stones are still alive and kicking despite a number of hiatuses and lineup changes. The band also has survived through the decline of nu-metal/grunge alternative. Their last album was 2012’s Beneath the Scars, and according to a recent update on Facebook they are currently in the process of writing some new songs.

12 Stones TRACKLISTING:
Crash
Broken
The Way I Feel
Open Your Eyes
Home
Fade Away
Back Up
Soulfire
In My Head
Running Out of Pain
My Life
Eric’s Song

Copyright © 2020 BREATHEcast.com All rights reserved. - BreatheCast

12 Stones are rolling out the official details on their fourth studio album, which Loudwire can exclusively reveal is titled 'Beneath the Scars' and drops May 22. In addition, 12 Stones have unveiled the cover art for the disc (see image to the left).

The band once again teamed with producer Skidd Mills (Skillet, Sick Puppies) -- who also helmed 12 Stones' 2007 album 'Anthem for the Underdog' -- to record the new 14-track disc.

"Lyrically, the songs capture the essence of life’s challenges," says 12 Stones singer Paul McCoy of the new album. "As an example, the song ‘I’m With You’ is about the impact a friend’s suicide had on all of us in the band. It’s a song of hope for those that are going through the trials we all face and the hardships that are a part of life.”

Loudwire recently premiered 12 Stones' lyric video for the new single 'Infected,' which McCoy penned "about the messed up state of the world. It speaks about how crazy these times are, and about being fed up with the chaos and hatred.”

12 Stones first caught the attention of the mainstream when McCoy collaborated with Evanescence on the 2003 Grammy winning mega-hit 'Bring Me to Life.' The Louisiana rockers have sold more than 1 million copies of their albums, in addition to receiving multiple GMA Dove nominations.

'Beneath the Scars' Track Listing:
01. 'Infected'
02. 'Bulletproof'
03. 'For The Night'
04. 'Worlds Collide'
05. 'That Changes Everything'
06. 'The One Thing'
07. 'Blind'
08. 'I'm With You'
09. 'Bury Me'
10. 'Psycho'
11. 'Only Human'
12. 'Someone Like You'
13. 'Shine On Me'
14. 'Pretty Poison' - Loudwire

12 Stones is an alternative rock band that’s been flirting with a real breakthrough every since their self-titled debut album. They had a couple songs on soundtracks that gave them good exposure and their straight-forward rock approach was honest and strong.

Their debut album had a number of impressive rock songs on them (Broken, The Way I Feel, Soulfire, Running out of Pain) that made you believe this band was gonna strike it big, reaching out to fanbases of 3 Doors Down, Creed, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace & Staind. And on their debut they could absolutely measure up to those bands, and in my opinion they even topped some of those acts in originality and quality. With their follow-up album, however, they kind of hit a sophomore slump; musically at least. The songs weren’t too bad, but a little too predictable. It had a few standout songs (Photograph, Stay, Leaf Loser) but the album was compressed way too much and the lyrics and music didn’t have the same lasting impression the songs on the band’s debut did.

But 12 Stones proved to be resilient as they came back with an excellent third album. “Anthem For The Underdog” showed more maturity and the songwriting was definitely stronger than it was on “Potter’s Field”. The album may have been a little too polished at times, but the songs did speak for themselves. Along with single Lie To Me there were strong tracks like Broken Road, This Dark Day and Adrenaline.

So it felt like this band was on the way back to become one of the more interesting alternative rock bands of today. And with their new EP “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday” the band lets the more polished, mainstream side go a little more and eases back into a more raw and energetic approach, which is what they do best anyway. The opener Welcome To The End is gritty, gutsy and has enough flow to stay interesting. It’s not just bashing on a guitar or shouting out angry lyrics, it’s a combination of melodic rock, roars, clever hooks and aggressive guitar parts. As an opener it sets the tone.

Lead single We Are One was around for awhile and 12 Stones manages to find a nice niche that lies somewhere in the middle of Green Day and 3 Doors Down, but with a serious edge. The song is also a nod, a tribute as you will, to the military men and women protecting the country, but at the same time the lyrics can take on a personal meaning for the listener. For a rock single, this is one of the better ones as of late. Disappear may be the most predictable song on the album. It’s a good song but if it had been on a Three Days Grace or Staind album, or even a Lostprophets album I wouldn’t have been surprised. It’s a solid song, but it’s the song that stands out least on this EP. On Tomorrow Comes Today the band paces down in tempo and intensity in the beginning of the song and the main focus in the song is on the build up as it slowly builds up in intensity. It’s a good song and it would probably make a pretty successful follow-up radio single, but its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. The song sticks with you, which is usually a good thing, but if you hear it too often it has a risk of becoming slightly repetitive. With the changes in intensity and relatability of the song the band does a solid job at trying to prevent that, but it could go either way.

The EP ends with perhaps its strongest song. Enemy is an alternative rock song with creative songwriting, powerful vocals and impeccable timing. The accents in the songs are perfect, the intensity is just right and it has great energy which makes the song very suited for live perfomances as well. This song reminds me of their debut album in a lot of ways, but as the lyrics of this song already say: “so much better!”

“The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday” is a good EP and it continues the strong steps forward this band has been making over the past few years. Some critics will argue the band sounds like others in the genre and I won’t argue that there are obvious similarities, but I think 12 Stones does have an edge on many of the bands in the same genre. They are believable and honest, and you can hear it in their music. Even in their ‘lesser’ songs they manage to come up with a little surprise here and there. To me, that’s a sign of maturity, of a band that has quality and longevity. And regardless of that, it’s a good EP, it features a couple very good rock songs that rock fans will most definitely be able to appreciate. Shouldn’t that be a good thing? I sure think it is. - Inner Ear Media

Platinum Selling Group’s Song “We Are One” Will Open ACC Network Telecasts
Charlotte, N.C. – Platinum recording group 12 Stones will open each ACC Network telecast of the 2011 ACC men’s basketball tournament. 12 Stones single “We Are One” will be featured in the opening video montage to lead into each game.
Hailing from Mandeville, LA, 12 Stones is one of the most dedicated, hard-working bands of the last decade. With a massive fan base and a non-stop work ethic, 12 Stones has signed a new deal with EMG/ Fontana / Universal and is hard at work on their 4th album, due out in 2011. The band is made up of Paul McCoy, Eric Weaver, Justin Rimer and Michael McManusis.

In their 10-year career, 12 Stones has sold over 2 million singles and albums collectively, won a Grammy Award for front man Paul McCoy’s contribution to the single “Bring Me To Life” from Evanescence (which went on to sell a 14 million albums worldwide and 3 million singles in the US), and have received multiple GMA Dove Nominations for their singles “Broken” and “Lie To Me”. The band’s current EP “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday” debuted at #2 on the iTunes Rock Album chart and #6 overall on iTunes. For more details, please visit www.12stones.com
12 Stones joins a star-studded list of performers featured in Raycom football and basketball telecasts over the years, including Rascal Flatts, Three Days Grace, Brooks & Dunn, Daughtry, Sugarland, David Cook, Alison Krauss, Lil’ Mama, T-Pain and Ricky Skaggs.
“12 Stones delivers a song that exemplifies the heart of competition in the ACC Tournament,” said Raycom Sports producer Dave Barringer, who created the opening sequence. “The song brings into focus the importance of teamwork and dedication to one common goal. That is vital to every team as they compete for the prestigious ACC Championship. It really is a song that will set the tone for fans and get them ready for each exciting game.”
Barringer speaks from experience. He and fellow producer Jeremy Williams have been honored with a combined five Regional Sports Emmys for their work on openings for live sporting events.
Raycom Sports, based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the leading independent syndicators in the nation. Raycom owns the television rights to ACC basketball and syndicated television rights to ACC football.
Raycom Media, parent company of Raycom Sports, owns 44 television stations, covering over 12% of the U.S. and is headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama. - Raycom Sports

Some days just seem like something out of a movie. And some videos have that feeling as well, as 12 Stones are exclusively premiering their new clip for "Picture Perfect" right here at Loudwire.

The video features what appears to be a multitude of black-and-white footage from the early days of film, but the one shot that appears to be modern is a man emerging from the ocean and washing up on shore, where it's quite possible he's envisioning a simpler time that's a picture perfect place in the early days of film.

That would be keeping with the lyrical content, as 12 Stones' Paul McCoy sings, "Nothing went the way I thought it would today," while later coming to the conclusion that it's time to return to a "picture perfect" place in the mind.

The song itself is the title track off of 12 Stones upcoming Picture Perfect album. The disc is due July 14 via Cleopatra Records and pre-orders are currently being taken via iTunes and Amazon.

McCoy says of the disc, "We all agree that this is our favorite album yet. Cleopatra Records gave us creative freedom to make the record we wanted to make. We can't wait for all of you to hear it." - Loudwire

New Orleans-based radio rockers 12 Stones are gearing up for their first release since 2007's 'Anthem for the Underdog' with a barn burner of a first single, 'We Are One' -- which is, incidentally, super anthemic, with a driving, ultra-catchy chorus. It's as though the tune was written expressly to get juices flowing, blood pumping, testosterone kicking and energy roaring.

Turns out, the song, which you can listen to exclusively here on Noisecreep, was inspired by 12 Stones' recent trip to San Diego, where they played for troops at Navy SEALs Convention in Coronado. The only thing tougher than a gathering of Navy SEALs would be a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick!

"Prior to playing the event, we were lucky enough to go to the actual Navy SEALs training camp and participate in some of the various obstacles that the SEALs have to go through," guitarist Justin Rimer told Noisecreep. "It was a simply amazing experience, and we have a whole new respect for what these guys do and the sacrifices they make.

"12 Stones has always been a big supporter of our troops and the lives they lead to ensure our freedoms, but I think this experience, in particular, really opened our eyes even more to the harsh reality that is their lives. And not to mention how bad ass these dudes really are!"

'We Are One' has a bit of a sports arena vibe as well, and we can imagine the song bellowing in the hallowed halls of a hockey arena or a baseball stadium on a hot August night. Hell, it would have been the perfect sonic accompaniment to the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints during their parade in the hometown they share with 12 Stones, something Rimer acknowledges.

"We truly wrote this for our troops, but sure, when we were writing it, we knew we had the opportunity to connect with people on so many levels," the guitarist said. "'We Are One' is a statement for all types of people and all types of situations. I think many sports teams can really latch onto this song. I would love to hear it in as many sports arenas as possible. Go Saints!" - Noisecreep