Full Circle

Very Pleasantly Surprised.
I am a Creed Fan and have been since I bought MOP in 1997. I have seen them twice in concert and it was great. However, I am also a HUGE Alter Bridge fan and loved the direction that band has gone. So, understandably, I had doubts about the music that was going to come out of this project, especially with Weathered being their last effort. I should never have doubted. Other than Fear, Full Circle, and Bread of Shame, the album is VERY solid, and at times, Classic. They have all matured as musicians and Stapp's lyrics aren't ALL religious in nature. I put the album in my cd player and on mp3 player on the 27th, and honestly, it hasn't come out since. Big time classic highlights include Time, A Thousand Faces, Rain, and Suddenly. I am glad to see them do so well. Even though Stapp is not my favorite person in the world (and never will be), he is still a good song writter and lead man. However, the other three guys Rule, especially Tremonti. I definitely recommend. It's pretty damn good.

One of the Best for 2009
Good Work Creed!!!! I am a fan of all genres of music, worked in the music buisness for many years, and I am thrilled to hear this great comeback from CREED. I really think it's one of the best recordings of 2009, and Stapp and Co. deserve a huge pat on the back... The heck with the pundants, and the folks that still Lash-out at Stapp for shortsightedness,and errors that many of us have done ourselves.......this is a great Disc...buy it now, and help support a band that needs a break ... One of the 1st discs of the year that I was excited about every song on the disc... Great Stuff!!!! Congrats to Creed!!

Real Creed Fan
Anyone that really followed My Own Prison, Human Clay and Weathered and attended every Creed concert on the east coast cannot tell you that this is the same caliber of music they listened to a few years ago. There is a reason to be excited about Creed coming back together but we also have to look at it from the artistic point of view. Anyone that will argue that this album does not fall to bottom of the Creed list is not anyone that was ever a Creed follower. Half of this album is old Creed standard, deep and melodious, the other half is so so, can live without, actually, prefer to live without. The guitars and drums are blazing throughout the whole album, thanks to Mark and Scott no doubt so if you love that old Creed instrument banging, it's all still here. As a whole, you still need to get this album, there are a few tracks there that you shouldn't miss but it's definitely not the same high standard of Creed music from years back.

The Return of Vintage Rock
I'm going to start this five star review with something of a negative. The problem with this album is that there are too many good songs. Though Creed has toned down the rhetoric on this album, they could easily have talked up this album to the heights of previous accomplishments by claiming that "the epic songs are more epic and the classic songs are more classic". Instead they let the music do the talking and the result is their finest album since My Own Prison. Too many good songs shouldn't be a problem except when a wrong one is chosen to introduce the album. The promo single is the one chance for a rock band like Creed, re-emerging after a long absence, to reconnect not only with its core fan base but also the wider music buying public drawn to the musical prowess of songs like 'My Sacrifice' and 'One Last Breath'. The choice of 'Overcome' as the promo single, a great punchy rock song and one of my favorites, may have captured the attention of Creed die-hards and critics alike for its bold in-your-face sound, but it's loud and heavy, limiting its broader appeal. For Creed to have the same impact as their last album which saw opening week sales of 800,000, compared to just over 100,000 for this record, the first song has to inflict maximum damage, particularly in this day and age of R&B supremacy. Since there are so many great songs to choose from, I think 'A Thousand Faces' would have been the more appropriate choice followed by 'On My Sleeve' or 'Time' as the first single. While 'Rain' is another superb song and a favorite of mine, it has a different sound and feel and could have been a superb second or third single after the firm handshake of the lead track had been established. This album has an epic feel to it and rock radio should be eating -- no, make that slurping -- it up. 'A Thousand Faces' is among their best songs to date. Time is a Creed classic and Full Circle and Away in Silence are all excellent songs showcasing Stapp's fine vocals and Tremonti's exquisite guitar playing which propels the album to a place that few have reached recently, with the notable exception of the new AIC record and the last offering from AC/DC. Creed has definitely taken us higher and perhaps over time, people will come to realize that.

Good Reunion...
A lot of awesome melodic hooks to be found on this record, it's like a cross between "Human Clay" and "My Own Prison" with a dash of Altar Bridge's "Blackbird". No denying this is good music, unless you want to jump on the "I'm cool bus" and be a hater. Totally recommend this record! Stapp's had some well publicized problems and really they help to fuel a lot of the material on this album, music really benefits most (unfortunately) from pain and hardships.