Inside Look @ Creed

by

Mike & Amy Nappa

FAST LOOK:

Creed is a multiplatinum-selling rock supergroup known as much for its spiritually influenced lyrics as it is for its blazing, hard rock guitars.

INSIDE SCOOP:

When Weathered, the third CD from rock Creed (Wind-Up Records), released late last year, it moved close to a million copies during its first week on the market. No surprise, then, that it debuted at #1 the charts and kept a stranglehold on that spot for months, or that it muscled its way to quintuple-platinum status in less than a year’s time. In fact, Creed has sold over 20 million album total and won several music awards to boot.

Not bad for a hard rock band that sings about God and spiritual issues…Or is it? That question has many Christians divided.

Fans of the band laud Creed’s songwriter/front man, Scott Stapp. The son of an oral surgeon with a thriving lay ministry, he was raised in a strongly Christian home. This influence shows up lyrically in Creed’s music time and again. Additionally, while Creed’s music is comparable to harsher metal bands like Korn or Pearl Jam, this group tends to avoid the darkly violent imagery of other hardcore groups.

Outside the studio, Stapp has used his wealth to fund the With Arms Wide Open Foundation, a charitable organization that seeks to “protect the lives and well-being of children by seeking to ensure healthy, loving, nurturing bonds between children and their parents.”

Critics, however, argue that Stapp is actually the main problem with Creed. They point to the fact that while he was raised in a Christian home, it was far from a healthy place. Stapp’s parents were excessively legalistic in practicing their religion—to the point that their son finally ran away as a teenager to escape treatment that some have characterized a child abuse.

Critics contend that Stapp’s warped experience with Christianity now distorts the biblical truth he explores in his songs. The young man’s own comments on the subject lend credence to that opinion. “All the members [of Creed] believe in God,” he says, “but we each differ on our methods to reach Him…Who are we to say that being a Christian is the only way to heaven?”

Additionally, detractors note that Christianity is only one of many spiritual influences on Creed. For instance, the band’s hit, “Higher,” speaks of Christian themes, but according to Stapp, was drawn from a book written by Hindu monks. The fact that at least one popular Creed song (“What’s This Life For”) uses the Lord’s name as profanity only adds to critics’ distaste.

Creed is obviously not a “Christian band,” but is their sincere exploration of religion in the environment of hard rock music acceptable listening in your home anyway? As always, only you and your family can decide that.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT Creed:

“Creed sells millions of records by playing hardcore—but overwhelmingly generic—hard rock with religious-right messages about salvation, grace, and family values.”

—Evan Serpick, Entertainment Weekly columnist

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“[Creed is] a guilty pleasure, with lyrics elliptically Christian enough to sustain crossover listeners who like their music loud, their doctrine grated through refrigerator-sized amplifiers, their spiritual sentiments unvarnished, and their piety vaguely evangelical.”

— Tom Beaudoin, Books & Culture

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“We are not a Christian band. A Christian band has an agenda to lead others to believe in their specific religious beliefs. We have no agenda!”

—Scott Stapp, founder and front man of Creed

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“Stapp and Co…seem more aware of life’s hardships and pain, [but] they still manage to avoid despair. Where there’s a shadow, there’s a light…For fans of this hard-rocking genre, [Creed’s Weathered is] a good mainstream alternative to the likes of Korn, Staind and Drowning Pool.”

— Bob Waliszewski, music critic for Focus on the Family

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“Some Creed songs do touch upon Christian ideas. After all, Stapp was raised in a very conservative Christian home…[and] it still influences his thinking and his music. Yet like the song ‘Higher,’ Stapp's songwriting is also influenced by ideas that aren’t Christian. The result: a confusing mix that leaves the listener wondering where Creed is coming from.”

—Chris Lutes, Campus Life magazine

LOOKING INSIDE…:      

Use these questions to spark family discussion about Creed:

---What makes music “Christian”?

---True or false: Creed’s music is Christian music. Defend your answer.

---Thanks to his parents, Scott Stapp apparently endured a difficult-to-understand expression of the Christian faith as a child. If you could talk to Scott today, what advice would you give to him about a relationship with Jesus?

[SIDEBAR]

If members of your family like Creed, then you may want to check out:

---Lift by Audio Adrenaline (ForeFront Records)

Like Creed, veteran CCMers, Audio Adrenaline, crank out edgy rock music with spiritually challenging, real-life lyrics. The big difference, however, is that AA is decidedly unambiguous about their faith in Christ and dependence on Him to sustain them through good times and bad. With showcase songs like the blazing “I’m Alive” and the melancholy rock ballad, “Ocean Floor,” their latest CD, Lift, is a must-have for any Creed-loving member of your family.

---Come Together by Third Day (Essential Records).

Though musically a bit tamer than both Creed and Audio Adrenaline, Third Day’s brand of pop/rock still features that “big voice” sound that many fans find so appealing in Scott Stapp. In fact, Third Day’s lead singer, Mac Powell, is often compared to Creed’s vocalist. The band’s latest album, Come Together, offers rock-tinged melodies that focus on faith, praise, and a relationship with God. This one’s something both kids and parents might enjoy.

[END]

[BIO LINE] Mike & Amy Nappa are renowned cultural commentators, best-selling and award-winning authors, and creators of the Internet magazine for families, www.FamilyFans.com