Getting right back to where they started from,
Creed reunites for Full Circle, putting all tensions -- including whatever unpleasantry existed with their long-departed original bassist Brian Marshall -- to rest and cutting their first album in eight years. Full Circle is a none-too-subtle allusion to how they're getting back to their beginnings, but this bears some subtle differences, particularly in how
Creed sounds heavier yet more open than they did in the past. There's more air within the ballads, more skill in their attack, a looseness to their playing that allows them to take a stab at white-boy blues on the title track. "Full Circle" is one of several songs built on prominent acoustic guitar, an indication of the greater color palette here than on earlier albums like Human Clay. [A deluxe edition was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine