Creed: “Full Circle” (Wind-Up)

The Mega-Selling Grunge Outfit of the 1990s Returns!

I was originally quite sceptical about this album. I always liked Creed (Human Clay, despite it being ‘uncool’, is one of my favourite albums of that period and this genre), so I was interested to see how they might fare after some time apart and with mended fences.

Scott Stapp’s solo album was… disappointing to say the least. The other members of Creed went off, along with Myles Kennedy (formerly of The Mayfield Four) to form the heavier, but still melodic and grungy Alter Bridge.

Full Circle opens with “Overcome” – a heavier take on the classic Creed sound, which serves as a suckerpunch for those who had forgotten what Creed’s original appeal was. “Bread of Shame” and “A Thousand Faces” follow this up with two more toned-down songs, each acting like a step down in intensity. This wasn’t entirely welcome, but the songs are very good, exhibiting some more interesting song structures (still straightforward, but not the standard Creed template that had become well-trodden by 2001’s Weathered). Thankfully, as became clear over the course of the rest of the album, the histrionics have disappeared, and Stapp seems to have got his ego mostly in check. Good for him. Mark Tremonti’s guitar playing is exceptional throughout, and it seems that he’s been able to bring over some solos from his Alter Bridge days, again making the album stand out from Creed’s previous output.

Overall, this is a welcome return from a band everyone loved to deride and hate. Just like Nickelback, who continue to produce songs that appeal to a broad demographic (aging music fans who came of age during the grunge years, for example), Creed’s place in the music world is assured. If you like your grunge straightforward and competently composed and performed, then Full Circle is an album that should appeal.

For Fans of: Alter Bridge, Nickelback, Pearl Jam, Breaking Benjamin, Cavo, Breaking Point, Big Dismal, Bush (not the presidents), Day of Fire, Red