Album Review: Creed - Full Circle
To recap before this writer faces another onslaught of “the hipster reich”: Scott Stapp was a douche-bag with a messiah complex, an addictive personality, and a penchant for Vedder-esque vocals; Creed was post-grunge turned arena rock, fronted by the aforementioned “Jebus Crispy”; “My Sacrifice” makes me want to sacrifice small animals in hopes of regaining good standing with the musical Gods, right before “One Last Breath” segued into the popularity of “One Thing” by the much more talented Finger Eleven some time later. Compound this with a Stapp-less Creed becoming the God-awful Altar Bridge (seeing the running trend here?), and we arrive at a finality of what could have been the band to conquer an ill-fated Nickelback as of late.
Anyone attending high school during the early start of our precious new millennium can relive the pitiful days of 2001’s Weathered to their hearts’ content. Guilty pleasures aside we all had at least a handful of reckless memories from said era — be it a chainsaw pantomime or two alongside Limp Bizkit post-Three Dollar…, a sister or girlfriend insisting upon a repeat of Christina Aguilera’s latest single, a foray into Eminem’s personal daemons with The Marshall Mathers LP, or the one good song off of Weathered known as “Bullets” that promised a heavier build on Creed but never delivered due to Stapp’s ascending ego. Folks, this is the Creed I knew before being introduced to My Own Prison and Human Clay, before understanding that at some point in a short span of three albums Creed was actually pretty awesome. In the present day, it has been eight years since Weathered and after Altar Bridge and Scott Stapp’s solo career both failed miserably, Creed return now with the aptly titled Full Circle.
What is there to be said about this comeback that brings all four original Creed members to the modern rock fold once again? Honestly, it came to this reviewer out of nowhere via the first single/album opener “Overcome” playing on a local radio station after some random static shuffling yielded little else but current pop waste and some cheesy adverts. Initial reaction heralded the remark, “This sounds a lot like Creed, but — no, this sounds too good.” To quote Russell Brand, “…this is verbatim!” One five-minute download later, Full Circle became the Creed album promised to us a la “Bullets” only making a (fashionably?) late appearance years down past Weathered.
This is one of those albums that justify taking a hiatus, as the alternative would be a risk of continuing forcibly onward before arriving to results like Papa Roach’s Metamorphosis or Hoobastank’s For(n)ever. Granted that bands like 3 Doors Down and Evanescence have held on with decent grasps, but this is easily attributed to overt patriotism and sincerity for the former (also begetting Daughtry somewhat, but that’s another tale altogether) and a generation of Lacuna Coil fans for the latter. Creed is to blame a bit for the current onslaught of arena rock and ’80s balladry re-imagining, but considering Creed was actually good at some point lends them a little leniency. Full Circle bears the spotlight of said forgiveness in parts, as we volley back and forth between the expected cheesy introspection (”Rain”, “The Song You Sing”) and the newer, heavier Creed we wanted back in 2001-2002 (”Overcome”, “Bread Of Shame”, “Suddenly”).
Lyrically, there is nothing that echoes Morrison poetics or anything truly awe-inspiring; Vocally, Stapp is as on point and clear as he’s ever been with the hearkening Vedder imitations regardless of how stayed it might be to us children of grunge (”Full Circle”, “Good Fight”). The thing is, no one who listens to Creed expects anything shy of exactly this. Part of the reason Weathered failed so dramatically in the creativity department was Creed’s attempt at the sincerely deep coming off preachy or just plain dull, despite big record sales due to the late TRL’s spearheading Creed’s every music video like fucking PSAs dipped in popular culture to seem “hip”. Full Circle is a revised definition of modern rock from the perspective of a rehabilitated Creed, and it shows the reason Creed is actually a good act for its respective genre.
Full Circle showcases many aspects typically lost in the label shuffles of modern rock (something Creed knows well under Weathered) — the record is not glazed with overproduced filler backed by one generic single, it is playing to the fan base while also sporting a revitalized look and sound to prove a staying power unfathomable to the Hinders and Saving Abels of the world. Creed is on many a play list even now for a band that had quite a short turn at the wheel prior, and might one be so bold as to claim Creed currently represents a faction of good modern rock lost in the storm of the aforementioned pan flashes. Nickelback tried being such a thing with Dark Horse and wound up a steaming pile of pointlessly perverse background noise to take up the mantles of “Rock Star” and “Figured You Out” — to say the least, Creed might have delivered a prime product a few years too late, but at least we received the damn thing eventually.
Final points to make here: Full Circle’s titular track is to die for, as is about 75% of the record overall; nearly every track could be a potential single, but compared to the current masses of pure filler bands this is a God-send; Scott Stapp and company are now showing the new school how we really rock arenas; if the wait is any indication, maybe Nickelback should take a lesson and go on vacation so they come back sounding half this good. Full Circle is not the thinking man’s rock record, it is pure and simple modern rock with a bite that’s been lost in gimmicks and cliches since around 2003 or so. Throw all the jokes you want about Stapp as I have, but frankly it has all been overstated and now Creed appears to be back in full authenticity.
Oh, and this key to the comeback castle is not an open invitation — Motley Crue, here’s looking at you. Get off it, your time was up when Tommy Lee went all Methods Of Mayhem on our asses.
Rating: 
Check Out:
“Overcome”
I think creeds latest is a breath of fresh air .
I’m sorry, but do some research and spell the name of the band correctly if you’re going to bash them. It’s “Alter Bridge”. For someone who is so critical of Scott Stapp I’m surprised you are so negative towards Alter Bridge as I’m not a Stapp fan either, and for this reason I think Alter Bridge is GREAT. They have the chops of the rock band that is Creed, without the whiny pretentious attitude the Stapp brought to the mix.
Creed really did pave the way for lots of bands to get a CHANCE on mainstream radio.
Default, Nickelback, Daughtry, Lifehouse, Hinder, The Calling and a few more.
To think, Nickelback had about 5 UNKNOWN albums before the world heard of them and How U Remind me.
Think about that, Nirvana did it early nineties and Creed did it late on. That is, paved the way for a new sound in Rock music on radio.
I think you need to get a few things clear…obviously you wanted to be cool in high school or something like that, but facts are facts, Creed were the most successful band during their time, not just through album sales, but airplay, they were not EVER played on MTV, and that is testament to this bands quality. For me, this album is weaker, but the band is still strong. Alter Bridge for me is the best (and i am not biased in sayin that) rock band in recent times. A lot of bands have a few good songs, but this bands entire album is great, and furthermore their LIVE performances are for me, what makes them great. so shut yuh c*nt and stop writing shit when ur clearly biased.
then again…. in the end opinions are alot like but holes, you go clean yours and I go clean mine.
“A Thousand Faces” best song ever!!!
There is nothing wrong with ballads, per se. The problem I had with Creed was that they seemed like a vehicle for Stapp’s sappy moments mixed with his ego, not a legitimate movement (although I admit “Arms Wide Open” was sincere to my ears).
My statement referred to recycling the overused 80s ballads that were made popular by bands like Extreme and Poison. Creed’s move helped push the current trend of Hinder, Saving Abel, Daughtry, and other passing fancies of radio rock demographics.
Honestly, do you get your jollies off on “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”?
PS - Lots of people care about Pearl Jam, even if you don’t. There’s a difference between stating an opinion and coming off like a complete ass. A little formality might do you some good, perhaps you should write a review.
btw… Pearl Jam Blows. I mean really, who even cares about pearl jam?
What is wrong with Ballads? You know you liked it. Quit trying to be a tuff guy. BTW, I hate “Bullets” the song sounds like a kid beating on pots and pans.
Dave,
great review on Creed’s new cd. Sometimes you have to get knocked down hard in order to realize what you had. With this new cd, Creed appears to be on point. Give them time and I think they will suprise some folks!
That would be the “addictive personality” bit in reference to Stapp — which includes alcohol. I should note that it is quite nice to see the old bassist back, very refreshing and the time away obviously did them all some good.
CREED was away from so long because of alcohol… weak weak band.
Great review. It’s nice to hear from somebody who doesn’t just follow the tired (and false) Christian rock band story and is actually aware of My Own Prison. I don’t have Full Circle, but I like the single and i’ll probably get the new album now. One thing I would say though, is I wouldn’t be so hard on Alter Bridge (correct spelling btw). They’ve been relatively successful on rock radio, and there are a lot of people who swear by them. Spot on in regards to Scott Stapp’s solo career though.
“Overcome” is pretty decent. It’s a lot better than that ballad “Arms Wide Open” shit he was spitting out years ago. And he cut his hair - now he looks less like Jesus and more like an alternative ego.
Dave, you rule. All I gotta say.
this is why i come to CoS:
a refreshing, a non-pretentious approach to reviewing new music.
right before i clicked on the link for this, i worried i was gonna read some bullshit hipster slam from someone who likes to stroke their own cool pretentious ego. INSTEAD, we got a thoughtful, spot on review.
wicked
the cd is pretty good too
Lame
AMEN David- If Creed could have established their sound more around the sound of “Bullets” and some of their heavier stuff from their first album they wouldn’t get dogged so much by music fans (such as myself). I haven’t listened to “Full Circle” enough to properly judge it for myself, but I wish that they’d lay off the power-chording and Stapp-style of writing… 90% of what they do should’ve died 10 years ago. Instead, focus on good songwriting that incorporates the awesome talents of the band (not including Stapp).
This album %$#@ rocks!!! Scott sounds great and the musicianship is amazing. No one brings it like Tremonti. Well worth the long wait!!!!!
Ugh… Really?
Fail