So I’m fairly certain that 98% of the blog world isn’t giving this album the time of day because…well, it’s Creed. But therein lies a question; what is it about Creed that has earned them so much hate? Usually when I ask this question I’m met with stares, snarky smirks and responses to the effect of “dude, they suck“, without a decent explanation of why. Now look, I get where the hate comes from, but allow me to present an alternative opinion;
The band known as Creed is not half bad. The problem is Creed only released two albums, 1997’s My Own Prison and now this year’s Full Circle. I submit that the other two albums released under the Creed name were actually recorded by Scott Stapp and the Power Chords. The overly ham-handed pseudo-grunge and self-indulgent posturing was the work of an impostor, the Mr. Hyde to their Dr. Jekyll. Anyway, the actual Creed have returned and are reintroducing themselves on this new album, but some of the demons are still lurking and sadly manage to undermine what could have been a promising return for a band whose members deserve more credit than they get.
Full Circle opens with the heavy-hitting lead single “Overcome”, a reminder of why we kept Creed around in the first place. Intricate, loud guitars, bold vocal delivery from Scott Stapp, and a team effort all around. This is what made Creed enjoyable, and thankfully there’s more of this to be found on the record, both in the good and bad moments. “Suddenly” is a ball-buster of a track that features the non-singing members channeling their other project, the (only slightly) better received Alter Bridge. Guitarist Mark Tremonti gets to prove what some of us knew all along; when Scott Stapp isn’t hogging the spotlight, the band itself is actually damn good (save for drummer Scott Phillips, who sleepwalks through most of Full Circle). The solos and nuanced guitar work are frequently the highlight of the album, and far and away better than the half-assed flourishes that complimented Stapp’s moaning for two albums. The title track serves as an effortless example of what happens when the band stops trying so hard and just does the work; even Phillips wakes up long enough to keep this one good.
But that said, Full Circle is nowhere near a great album. As much as I’m amused by Scott Stapp’s superhuman ability to take himself uber-seriously, it gets in the way of songs that could have otherwise been wonderful. “Away in Silence” is a quality song until Stapp delivers the clunker “If my life is the price, then my life it will cost”. And the ballads…oh, God, the ballads. “On My Sleeve” is a full blown return of Scott Stapp and the Power Chords, a cheesy, heavy-handed mess that wreaks from beginning to end. And second single “Rain”, while a logical pick for radio, sounds like a blend of Weathered cuts “One Last Breath” and “Don’t Stop Dancing”, making it as cheesy as it is pandering. And finally, there’s the fatal thought that ruined the enjoyment of the album after one too many meh moments:
Is this the reason that Alter Bridge III is delayed till 2010?
Yes, it would appear that Full Circle came at the expense of Alter Bridge’s next album, still in production, but on the backburner. Now, on a bad day Alter Bridge is just as guilty of the things people hate Creed for. But at their best Alter Bridge is purely fantastic. And precious few moments on Full Circle live up to that standard, meaning that even though Creed walks away from this a winner, fans of both bands end up a little gipped.
Final Score: 5.7/10
Creed – Full Circle (YSI)
Filed under: reviews | Tagged: Alter Bridge, Creed, reviews
