AMG Review of Underdog

Steve Huey
All Music Guide

With 1996's Bloom, Audio Adrenaline began to really come into its own, getting a handle on their funk/arena-rock hybrid. That hot streak continued through 1997's Some Kind of Zombie and its follow-up, 1999's Underdog. Underdog marks the first time the group itself has helped out with production chores, and the results are largely up to the standard of their previous two records. That's not to say it's perfect -- the funk riffs still sometimes feel grafted onto the songs, which are melodic AOR at heart, and there are a few musically awkward moments here and there. But overall, the album will certainly appeal to fans, and the Christian messages are as strong as ever.