Has Creed truly come full circle? Could Be.
By Phillip Sayblack
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Time heals all wounds. Such an adage hopefully applies to Creed. After taking some years apart, Scott Stapp, and his bandmates in Creed have reunited for what is possibly the band’s strongest album to date. Guitarist Mark Tremonti is actually getting far more time this time around, than on the band’s previous trio of albums. It makes this album somewhat similar to Alter Bridge. And Stapp himself is taking center stage on the album as lyrically, the entire album comes across as Stapp airing his personal demons.
Songs such as “Away in Silence”, “On My Sleeve”, and “The Good Fight” are just a few examples of Stapp trying to show that he has been to the bottom of the barrel, and is still trying to make his way back up. “Away in Silence” is perhaps the softest, and most emotional song on the album. According to interviews, Stapp said that this song was about how his wife nearly left him because of how bad off he had gotten himself.
Fans of the band’s heavier sound won’t have to worry about this album’s overall sound despite the likes of the aforementioned songs. Overall, ‘Full Circle’ has more of the heavy sound started on ‘Weathered’ in the likes of “Bread of Shame”, “Suddenly”, “Fear”, and the album’s lead single/album opener, “Overcome”. These songs are more “testimony” from Stapp, lyrically. But musically, they are some of the heaviest songs that the members of Creed have written in their time together.
Some critics have said and written that despite the overall heavier sound of this album, there are no “radio friendly” songs on the album, and that this could hurt the album. That could not be farther from the truth. The album’s title track is perhaps the most peculiar song on the record, making for a song that will make fans, both new and old sit and listen. And then there is the ballad-esque “Away in Silence”, and even “A Thousand Faces” that could easily be used as radio singles.
Radio singles aside, the combination of songs on Creed’s fourth album has made for an album that shows perhaps the band has indeed come full circle. There is material for fans of the band’s softer side, and plenty for the band’s harder edged side, and even music for those in the middle. Regardless of which sound fans will be able to tell that this album has definitely come full circle.. Now, fans of Creed can only wait and hope that this release will prove Creed truly has come full circle itself, and will now be able to manage multiple projects without self destructing once more.
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