Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

Twelve24 took their name from John 12:24 and are primarily a high schools ministry team with the message that "God loves everyone in the world and through Jesus he offers new life, fresh hope and something to live for", a message that is certainly needed in our schools more than ever as young people need to hear the truths that they are not being told anywhere else! Ryan, Josh and Christina blend hip-hop, dubstep, R&B and dance pop into what are some pretty high energy songs to complement the hard-hitting messages dealing with sin and forgiveness (both receiving and giving), being an outcast, the emptiness of the sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll lifestyle, fear and the vitality of life in Jesus. Helping hammer the message home is a two minute segment of Andy Hawthorne on the results of removing the foundations of the Word of God from our society. Production is creative and top notch, and it's clear a lot of thought has gone into the structure of the songs, arrangements and programming. From the band's website it seems they're also putting equal effort into making videos - the video for "Hurricane" is of a high standard. There's a good splattering of cheesy lyrics that seem present purely for rhyming purposes, but there are also some deep lyrics that should challenge any Christian; "I speak from the soul, speak truth 'til my body turn cold. Jesus Christ came back to life, passed me the torch, it's my time to go, I won't stop, I won't quit, I am all in". However, I would question the necessity of using the line "Oh hot damn baby" in "What A Feeling". . .eh, what's the deal there? The album ends with a short epilogue stating "How can anyone hear the truth if no-one tells them?...the truth shall set you free...the truth is a person...his name is "Jesus"...'no-one can come to God except through me'", complete with an explanation about the need for God to punish sin and how Jesus' sacrifice deals with that, meaning the listener can know his love if they repent and turn to him. This is the gospel in a nutshell, told creatively and with absolute clarity...brilliant communication!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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