Creed’s first release, My Own Prison, was like a bolt of lightning. No one was sure where it came from, but it was one powerful record.
The sonic punch of tracks like “Torn,” “Ode,” “Illusion” and “My Own Prison” propelled the album into multi-platinum status and took Creed from club status to headlining arena act. Wind-Up Records, a tiny upstart label, was the only company that would take a risk on the band that was doing music that everyone said died with Cobain.
At the time of Creed’s debut, Goth music was hot. Marilyn Manson actually had fans, and Trent Reznor was still considered a musical genius. As Manson and Reznor faded, Creed took center stage, and their semi-spiritual music made them one of the biggest bands in the world.
It was the years following the release of My Own Prison that would end up being the most dramatic part of the Creed story. After relentless touring, Creed released their most mainstream and melodic album to date, 1999’s Human Clay. The release of Human Clay marked a turning point in the history of the band.
The once-humble band began to believe their hype a little too much. Lead singer Scott Stapp not only believed his own hype but created conflict on a number of occasions with his apparently oversized ego.
The June 2000 Dysfunctional Family Picnic, a legendary KROCK-sponsored New York concert, was the first sign of Stapp’s ego, causing a rift between him and his fans. No one knows what happened, but Fred Durst claimed Stapp refused to sign autographs for fans and that Stapp was acting like “Michael f*cking Jackson” backstage.
Matters weren’t made any better by former bassist Brian Marshall, who went on a tirade in a radio interview and told Seattle DJ Andy Savage, “Eddie Vedder wishes he could write lyrics like Scott Stapp.” The music world didn’t take too kindly to the blatant swipe at Vedder, a clear musical icon and co-leader of one of the greatest musical revolutions ever.
The band quickly fired Marshall, but it was another example of the ego that has become a trademark of Creed. The band’s latest record, Weathered, did what Stapp said it would: It went to No. 1 in its first week of sales, selling an unbelievable 887,000 copies to make it one of the biggest rock debuts in history.
No one begrudges Creed its success, but before the release of the album Stapp repeatedly made wagers with journalists that the album would be No. 1. Creed’s manager Jeff Hanson said that the album would be a modern-day Joshua Tree (for those of you not up on music, it was U2’s groundbreaking album).
Creed’s latest release is not a modern day Joshua Tree; it’s a modern-day version of a disappointing Creed record. Where do these guys get off prophesizing their own popularity and likening themselves to some of the greatest bands who have ever lived?
The most immediate thing that Weathered displays is that it is a much weaker album than Human Clay, and its long-term selling potential is not nearly as strong as its predecessor.
Human Clay reached sales of 10 million after the release of the massive hit “With Arms Wide Open.” The lead track, “Bullets,” is a pseudo-hard-ass attempt at reclaiming the space that Creed left out in the open after their short hiatus. The previous records were led off with much stronger tracks in “Torn” and “Are You Ready?” “Bullets” just doesn’t fit with Creed’s core sound and comes off as fake.
“Freedom Fighter” starts off like a Rage Against The Machine cover song before opening into a mildly melodic, although derivative, chorus. The lyrics are typical Stapp, swaying between martyrdom and some sort of inner strength with lines like, “I’m just a freedom fighter/ no remorse/ raging on in holy war/ soon there’ll come a day/ when you’re face to face with me.”
“Who’s Got My Back?” is some sort of ridiculous epic with Native American chants. It is a cross between a Led Zeppelin track and some sort of new-age ambience track.
“One Last Breath” is a poor shot at mixing together the riffs from “With Arms Wide Open” and “What’s This Life For?” It sounds like a recycled b-side and has no business being on the album. If Creed is looking for another big crossover track to play on radio stations that are geared toward soccer moms then they might have a hit, but otherwise, “One Last Breath” is filler.
“My Sacrifice” fueled first-week sales and is a decent track — not the strongest work the band has done, but one of the few worthy tracks on the album. “Stand Here With Me” is solid and much more upbeat, with tight guitar rhythms and simple drumbeats under the hopeful lyrics of Stapp. It is one of the better tracks on the album.
Weathered is a mild album by an overconfident band. It’s not awful, but it’s not a modern-day Joshua Tree. If anything, it is a sign that it’s better to be humble and true to yourself instead of believing that you are bigger than everyone and everything.