[nagpo]

I'm not going to go into great depth with my review. I'm too lazy. Overall I give the album a solid 8/10. It's not the best rock album of the year, I think U2 and Muse beat them on that.

I think that for a band that has been inactive for nearly eight years and to come out with an album like this is impressive. This is a good rock album that everyone should give a listen. I currently have "Suddenly" stuck in my head.

It's a huge departure from their past work. It sounds nothing like old creed. Which I like and hate at the same time. Creed is no longer post-grunge. Creed is modern hard rock like someone else said.

Musically, they've changed but haven't improved much. Most of the songs stick to a basic formula that Creed has been using for years. They haven't evolved in terms as musicians. They've merely made small improvements. Full Circle started off great(the song), it had a new sound to it but then reverted back to a familiar sound you'd expect from creed. My biggest problem with the music is how repetitive it is. How many time do they really need to repeat the dang chorus? Why not put a solid solo in. Also, Brian is out-shined by everybody else in the band. which is a shame since this is his third creed album. And everybody else's fourth.

You can definitely hear Tremonti's stamp on this album. Him going with alter bridge really influenced this new CD. His guitar work sounds way different than anything he put out with creed. Which is a good thing. However, his solos, or lack there of, weren't as amazing as I had come to expect from him. His solos were amazing in alter bridge. Here they just kind of blend into the background. His guitar work really shines in the melody's and riffs. Then again, I don't know that much about guitars.

Lyrically, it's great...most of the time. Some songs lack the emotional and 'spiritual' impact that previous creed records had. Some songs feel like they have filler lines, like someone else also said. Speaking of spiritual lyrics...this album has many 'God' innuendos that is somewhat cliched for the band. And that's where you know Stapp played a part. Saying "I'm a sinner. I'm a man." and I wonder who he is referencing in "Silent Teacher"?...yeah, you know who. Then a song like "Away in Silence" comes along and it is completely new, original and bare. it really shows a new writing style for stapp.

Speaking of stapp: VOCALS. He does a good job...most of the time. I often feel he overdoes it at times. Singing loudly in a line that would be pulled off better if he had been more subtle. He sometimes is annoying, in that for some reason he feels the need to repeat some lines over and over again. He also screams too much. His voice certainly has changed since weathered but it not a change for the worse.

Oh, and flip brings it!

My least favorite tracks are Good fight and Fear. Really just forgettable songs.

Favorite songs are Away in Silence, A thousand faces(even though marks backing vocals are a tad bit distracting and he can't sing very well.), Suddenly and Silent Teacher. I did not include Overcome(which get points from me for being the first creed song to have a swear word in it since What's this life for.) and Rain because they were previously released and I've already been critical about them.

Good Album. Some great songs. Some good songs and some I could do without. Can't wait for the next CD. Hopefully it will be an improvement. I would like them to drop Howard Benson though. Bring back John Kurzweg. And release those b-sides already!!!