Album review: Creed – Full Circle

Posted on 28 October 2009
By Jon Kerr
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Creed – Full Circle (Virgin Records)
Out 2 November

Some big names of American rock have made a comeback in 2009: Blink 182, Faith No More and Limp Bizkit to name three. Now, late on in the calendar, it’s the turn of all-American heart-string-pullers Creed. And 35million (mostly American) record buyers can’t be wrong, can they? Yes, actually, given that the band failed to hold together under the weight of almost universal critical beratement and more Pearl Jam comparisons than you can shake Ten sticks at.

So it is that Creed release their first album in eight years (ten with this line-up). It will please fans to know that they do so whilst making a pledge to co-exist with Alter Bridge (three members are in both bands).

“Full Circle” is an album which will do much to remind the aforementioned 35million of Scott Stapp’s ability to open himself up personally on record and of the other band members’ precision and occasional dynamism.

After opening track and lead single “Overcome” – a bombastic (and misleading) start – the album settles into familiar territory. “A Thousand Trees” and “Rain” are the kind of obese, star-spangled-banner-draped stadium fillers which never did – and probably never will – translate to fans on this side of the Atlantic.

Rest assured, the bulk of the album is introspective and tender: it is certain the likes of “Away In Silence” will be coming to a wholesome American chick flick soundtrack soon. On occasion, such as when Stapp makes his affirmation that “I’m not the man I used to be, I’ve changed”, one wonders if the lyrics weren’t stolen from a schoolgirl’s diary entries.

It’s positive for Creed’s future that there are fewer explicitly Christian nods here that there might have been before, making the album more broadly palatable. Furthermore, “Bread of Shame”, “Fear” and “Good Fight” are hard-hitting, if brief, slabs of post-grunge heftiness which hint that the band are back to appeal to a younger ear who don’t know who Eddie Vedder is and can’t taunt them about it. Good luck with that.

Tracklist:
1. Overcome
2. Bread of Shame
3. A thousand Faces
4. Suddenly
5. Rain
6. Away in Silence
7. Fear
8. On My Sleeve
9. Full Circle
10. Time
11. Good Fight
12. The Song You Sing