Creed
Full Circle

I didn't intend to write about Creed as much has already been said about them. But I intend to write about this album because, while a lot has been said about it on DeBaser, not everything has been covered. After 8 years of silence since their last "Weathered," Creed is back with "Full Circle." 'Back' is a big word because while the 'older' ones know that Creed is nothing more than the quartet Stapp/Tremonti/Marshall/Phillips, for the 'younger' ones, Creed might just be Alter Bridge with a different singer, a technically correct but substantially paradoxical statement. In fact, Creed has been playing together since 1995, and the "Alter Bridge" project (literally "alternative bridge" translated!) was born in 2004.

With this necessary aside, the return after years and years of disparities and inconsistencies (in 2004, the future of Creed seemed doomed even to the band) is quite respectable, perhaps even an unexpected return that exceeds skeptical expectations.

"Overcome" is among the most aggressive tracks ever written by Mark Tremonti. It's an opening with an edge, powerful hard rock combined with the robust voice (and more) of the now 40-year-old Scott Stapp, who enjoys playing the youngster and probably attempts to shake off the ungrateful label of being the poor man's Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam's singer), with whom he shares, in my view, not much apart from a similar vocal timbre. "Overcome" is a convincing, speaker-blasting single (tested at home), and it's probably the most hard rock song on the entire album. Following is the alternative rock of "Bread Of Shame" featuring solid guitar and bass work, but with a tune that's convincing but not entirely. The first slow track is "A Thousand Faces," reminiscent of singles from the '90s that made the band particularly famous in the USA; the result is satisfying to the point of nostalgically recalling their beginnings. The most melodic track on the album is undoubtedly "Rain," commercial but not shabby. I've personally sensed Stapp has always had a soft spot for so-called 'predictable' melodies from pieces like "My Sacrifice" from 2001, but the results, supported by a double and robust voice, are positive. In line with "Rain" is the solid "Away In Silence," marked by an inspired opening and closing arpeggio by Tremonti.

After a couple of good filler tracks such as "Fear" and "On My Sleev," stand out the title-track "Full Circle" and above all the stunning "Time." I have little to add beyond what's already been said in a previous review on DeBaser about this album, here is an excerpt written by the de-reviewer "Tiamazzo": "... surely the best of the album. Maybe I exaggerate, but one like this they could have written the Zeppelin 20 years ago. Tremonti in the interlude gives us one of the best arpeggios of his career, Stapp an intense track and vocal lines that remain on your skin. A mature, poignant, harrowing, dark song, charged with emotion. I still can't explain why Tremonti didn't include one of his solos, which would have made the track a true gem, one of those you'd put into "best rock ballads ever" compilations. A truly wasted chance for a song that won't be appreciated enough..." I can't agree more with this statement, an extraordinary ballad in my opinion like few others. Closing the album are the aggression of "Good Fight" and the arranged "The Song You Sing," not to be disregarded, but perhaps among the less convincing episodes of the album.

In conclusion, I believe that with this "Full Circle", Creed has not only rekindled the memories of old fans but also made themselves known to new generations, perhaps skeptically intrigued by what, from their perspective, might be the other side of the Alter Bridge coin. Between the present, plenty of past, and an uncertain future, "Full Circle" satisfies and reminds everyone, how it all began.