Few bands have managed to polarize the listening public quite like Creed has.
Creed first gained national attention with its debut album My Own Prison in 1997. The title track soared into the top five on the U.S. Mainstream Rock tracks, and the rest is history. After two more albums, Human Clay and Weathered (the former of which spawned the Grammy-winning and ultimately overplayed song "With Arms Wide Open"), the band split in 2004 amid discord between guitarist Mark Tremonti and lead singer Scott Stapp about Stapp's alcoholism and personal problems.
Tremonti went on with the rest of the band's founding members to form Alter Bridge, adding in lead singer Myles Kennedy. Alter Bridge continued to make great music, and Stapp made a solo record of his own, but in the end, Creed could not stay broken up for long.
According to a Rolling Stone interview, Stapp and Tremonti reconnected through last years' Champs Sports Bowl, at which Stapp performed the national anthem. Before Stapp's performance, he and Tremonti met up at the Hard Rock hotel and exchanged family pictures. Within 20 minutes, they were "jamming on acoustic guitars and talking about new songs" and had quickly reconciled their differences.
Originally, it was rumored that the band would only reunite for a tour, but the members ended up recording an entire new album, titled Full Circle, which is set to drop Oct. 27. Tremonti has said that the album will be different - a few songs will be what listeners have come to expect from Creed - but most of the album will vary musically from the band's past efforts.
Two singles have been released to radio so far, and they both sound like Creed is ready to take back their mantle atop the rock charts. The first single, "Overcome," showcases a much harder style that is more characteristic of Tremonti's work with Alter Bridge than with Creed. The main riff is raw and electric, and Tremonti's guitar solo at the end showcases his incredibly fast fingers. Stapp's vocals are very honest and hard-hitting like they always are, though the characteristic growl to his voice seems to have been Auto-Tuned away, almost giving the song an overly produced feel. Stapp showcases his talent as a songwriter on the song as well. I particularly like the chorus' first line: "I'm entitled to overcome." Not only does it convey the idea that everyone can overcome their problems if they put forth the effort, but it is also emblematic of the band's reunion despite the tumult that characterized its earlier days.
The second single, "Rain," is much more pop-oriented and seems to be aimed at a larger audience. While the song is softer and primarily features Tremonti on acoustic guitar, it showcases a different side of Creed that displays musical growth and versatility. Drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall also are more prominently heard on this song, as Marshall's bass blends well with Tremonti's guitar. Stapp sounds very sincere in the vocals as well. I especially like when he sings, "I feel it's gonna rain like this for days," and leaps up into the upper register of his range on the last two words.
The band has performed several other songs live that can be found on YouTube. Many fans are excited about "A Thousand Faces," which features Tremonti unleashing some solid backing vocals.\nCheck back here for a review once the album drops. If the first two singles are any indication, Creed is about to deliver a solid album.
Read More
The best albums of 2014
By Noah Zeidman | December 4, 2014Across genres, it has been a pretty great year in music.
Top 10 movies of 2014
December 4, 2014This has been an excellent year for film, offering everything from gripping blockbusters to innovative personal films.
Iggy Azalea is “Reclassified”
December 4, 2014It has become common practice among music artists to repackage their albums in an effort to simultaneously boost single sales and dish out new content by slightly renaming the album or slapping “Deluxe” onto the title.
