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''Weathered'' is the third studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets. The ea ...
, released on November 20, 2001. It was the last Creed album to be released until '' Full Circle'' came out in October 2009, with Creed disbanding in June 2004. It is the only Creed album to be recorded as a three-member band, as bassist Brian Marshall departed in August 2000. Vocalist Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti wrote most of the material for the album during a three-week period in late 2000, following their successful tour to support their second album, '' Human Clay''. Manager
Jeff Hanson Jeff Hanson (March 3, 1978 – June 5, 2009) was a singer-songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist,John Kurzweg John Kurzweg (born September 5, 1960) is an American record producer and musician who first became known for his work with successful post-grunge bands Creed and Puddle of Mudd in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Other artists he has worked with ...
, who rented out a private residence/recording studio in Ocoee, Florida owned by Jay Stanley, where the band would set up their studio inside to record the album. Recording sessions for the album began in July 2001, with Tremonti taking on bass guitar duties in Marshall's absence, and would last four months to complete. Musically, the album was touted by Hanson as the band's version of '' The Joshua Tree'' by U2, believing it would be the record that would set them apart. Stapp described the album as "two records in one" and "a very extreme record", as it features some of Creed's heaviest and most aggressive songs, experimental tracks, as well as many of the band's most popular ballads. The lyrics on ''Weathered'' tackle familiar topics often addressed by the band including Christianity and faith,
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
and unity, depression,
loneliness Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack ...
, friendship, as well more current and personal issues such as criticism and persecution of the band by their critics and the press,
substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
, dealing with the pressures that came with the band's popularity and living a rock star lifestyle, feelings of invisibility and insignificance, and Stapp's deteriorating physical and mental health which would continue to worsen throughout their hectic tour in support of the album. The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, the band's second consecutive studio album to top the chart, and remained at the top spot for eight consecutive weeks, the longest consecutive run since The Beatles's album 1 the year prior. ''Weathered'' also spawned six singles, including two top 10 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles: " One Last Breath", which peaked at number 6, and "
My Sacrifice "My Sacrifice" is a song by American Rock music, rock band Creed (band), Creed. It was released on October 16, 2001, as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Weathered''. The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...
", which peaked at number 4. It has since been certified 6× platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for sales of over 6 million units in the US alone. ''Weathered'' received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the band for their nuance, refined sound and unapologetic emotion, while others criticized the album for its lack of creativity and for being far too serious and pretentious.


Background

Following the massive success of the Creed's second album '' Human Clay'', the band began to experience turmoil during their tour in support of the album in the summer of 2000. Bassist Brian Marshall's problems with alcoholism and addiction were taking their toll on the band. Marshall began to spiral, leading to him physically threatening guitarist Mark Tremonti and even began attacking vocalist Scott Stapp verbally and online. After a band meeting they decided that Marshall needed to go to rehab and was let go from Creed, however Marshall never ended up going to rehab. The public initially thought Marshall was let go due to comments he made about
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
frontman
Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...
during a radio interview with KNDD in June, claiming that Scott Stapp was a better songwriter, and criticizing Pearl Jam's recent albums for not having hooks. Marshall was replaced for the remainder of the tour with
Brett Hestla Brett Adam Hestla (born February 4, 1973) is an American musician. Career In the late 1990s, Hestla's band Virgos Merlot was signed to Atlantic Records. After their first release, '' Signs of a Vacant Soul'', he became the touring bassist for ...
of
Virgos Merlot Virgos Merlot was an American hard rock band formed in 1998. Prior to the formation of Virgos Merlot, many of the band members were in the group The Devine, which later disbanded. After formation, their first album, '' Signs of a Vacant Soul'', ...
. Scott Stapp's struggle with alcoholism, addiction and depression also began to worsen during this period. Stapp began drinking heavily to cope with his depression as well as with the pressure of his fame and the band's success. Violent altercations became the norm with Stapp, when in April 2001 he punched a man at a club in
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...
after he was badgering Stapp and reportedly told him "You should’ve stuck with Pearl Jam." However, no charges were filed. When asked about the altercation Stapp responded by saying "I was going to turn the other cheek, but Jesus never had to deal with this Pearl Jam crap." As Stapp's drinking addiction became more severe, he also became addicted to Percocet shortly after the release of the album following a car accident in the spring of 2002, as well as a host of other medications including Xanax and throat steroids like
Decadron Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid medication used to treat rheumatic problems, a number of skin diseases, severe allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, croup, brain swelling, eye pain following eye surgery, superior vena cava s ...
. Stapp's deterioration continued until he reached a point where he was "drinking from the time I woke up ‘til the time I went to sleep, and under the influence of pills as well." These addictions eventually culminated in a breakdown during a December 29, 2002, live show at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, ultimately leading to the band's eventual break up.


Writing and recording

For the ''Weathered'' album, Creed approached the writing process differently than they did for their previous two albums. Prior to writing new material, the band made a rule that during the tour for ''Human Clay'' that no new songs could be composed. Scott Stapp says the reason for this was that he wanted the band to "live life and have experiences" before he and guitarist Mark Tremonti began writing new songs. Stapp and Tremonti also vowed not to listen to any music at all between the end of the ''Human Clay'' tour and the start of writing sessions for ''Weathered''. Stapp said the reason for this was that he wanted to ensure that nothing would subconsciously influence the band's writing process. This was so that all the material would come from them. After finishing the final leg of their tour in December 2000, Stapp and Tremonti began writing new songs. After just three weeks, the songwriting duo had managed to write an entire album's worth of material by the end of the year. Following a short holiday break, the band decided to take a laid-back approach to the recording and releasing of the album, deciding to spend the first several months of 2001 refining the new material before entering the recording studio. Most of the writing for the album was done in Stapp's living room during four-hour sessions, four nights a week. During the final days of writing material Tremonti and Stapp wrote while on Stapp's boat, a
Sea Ray Sea Ray Boats is an American manufacturer that produces recreational motorboats. It currently operates as part of the Brunswick Boat Group, a division of Brunswick Corporation. History It was founded in 1959 by Zach Ray as an independent company ...
cruiser. On July 20, 2001, Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, and Scott Phillips entered J. Stanley Productions Inc., a private residence/recording studio in Ocoee, Florida, to begin the process of recording the album. The home studio featured two in-home control rooms, Studio A, which was decked out with purple lights and purple lava lamps, which Jay Stanley claimed helped spark his creativity; and Studio B, where Creed held their recording sessions. The album was recorded and mixed in just four months using Pro Tools. The band also hired Full Sail University graduate Shilpa Patel, whom Jay Stanley referred to as the "Queen of Pro Tools", as a studio technician to help the band record and mix the album. During recording sessions for the song "Who's Got My Back?", the band enlisted the services of Cherokee musician Bo Taylor, an avowed Creed fan who Stapp brought in personally from a reservation who was fluent in ancient Cherokee chants, to do an ancient sounding Cherokee Indian prayer for the intro of the song. The band played a demo of the song for Taylor, and after a lengthy conversation about its meaning Stapp had Taylor do four to five chants in the studio until settling on the first take. Stapp also brought in his sister Aimee to sing backing vocals on "Don't Stop Dancing", as well as the Tallahassee Boys' Choir. Jay Stanley, who was sporadically present during the recording sessions, recalls his initial impression of hearing early demo recordings of the songs, specifically the album's lead single "
My Sacrifice "My Sacrifice" is a song by American Rock music, rock band Creed (band), Creed. It was released on October 16, 2001, as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Weathered''. The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...
". At the time, the group was halfway through recording its new album when the attacks of September 11, 2001, occurred. According to Producer
John Kurzweg John Kurzweg (born September 5, 1960) is an American record producer and musician who first became known for his work with successful post-grunge bands Creed and Puddle of Mudd in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Other artists he has worked with ...
, the mood quickly changed and intensified following the attacks. Kurzweg said "We tried to go forward and do the best we could, but all the songs were written before. Not one lyric was changed." In response to the
terrorist attacks The following is a list of terrorist incidents that have not been carried out by a state or its forces (see state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism). Assassinations are listed at List of assassinated people. Definitions of terrori ...
, touring bassist Brett Hestla, along with his band who were known simply as Virgos during this period, wrote a tribute song to those affected and involved in the massacre called "Brother Of Mine", which they included on their only album "The Path of Least Resistance". The song featured Tremonti and Philips on guitar and keyboards respectively. Another version of the song also featured Stapp sharing vocal duties with Hestla.


Music and lyrics

Stapp describes the album as "two records in one" and "a very extreme record", as it features some of Creed's heaviest songs such as the opening track and second single "
Bullets A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and con ...
", as well as some of the band's most uplifting numbers including their hit lead single "My Sacrifice", and the album's closing track "Lullaby". Manager Jeff Hanson described the album as Creed's version of '' The Joshua Tree'', feeling it would be the record that would set the band apart and have the epic scope and impact of the classic U2 album. With bassist Brian Marshall no longer in the band, Tremonti played bass guitar for all the songs on the album in his absence. The album opens with "Bullets", an anthemic and forceful heavy metal track that features some of Tremonti's fastest and most aggressive guitar work for Creed. Stapp wrote the lyrics about what he felt were unjust criticisms that the band had received throughout their careers from critics and the press. In the song, Stapp asks of them to "At least look at me when you shoot a bullet through my head!", inferring that if someone has something negative to say about them to do it to their faces. "Bullets" is followed by another one of the album's heavier tracks, "Freedom Fighter". It is the band's shortest song ever recorded, clocking in at only 2:36. In between the first and second verse of the song, a muffled voice can be heard reciting the lyrics from the bridge section of "Wash Away Those Years", from the ''Human Clay'' album. The album's third track, the eight-minute epic entitled "Who's Got My Back?", is the band's longest song ever recorded and one of their most experimental tracks. The song was written by Stapp, who was inspired to reconnect with his own Cherokee roots and heritage on the track. The song opens with a Bo Taylor's Cherokee Indian prayer, that according to Stapp, was "so moving to me. It literally brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it."" The band continues to explore dark themes on track five of the album with their hit single " One Last Breath", a song which Mark Tremonti cites as one of his favourite guitar lines and musical compositions for Creed. According to Stapp, the song is about someone crying out for help, realizing the mistakes they've made in their past, and your friends being there for you to lean on. Stapp also expresses sentiments about how in the minds of "normal, well-adjusted" people, any thoughts of moving beyond this life are not real, and how these surreal thoughts are just flashes-in-the-pan and they would never act upon them. Track six, "My Sacrifice", sees the band segue into its uplifting numbers on the second half of ''Weathered''. Lyrically, the song explores Stapp's own personal struggles with battling substance abuse, addiction and alcoholism and him coming to terms with his inability to stay sober despite his best efforts. Musically, the song has a far more positive and uplifting sound comparable to the band's previous hit single "
Higher Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000 * ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...
". "
Weathered ''Weathered'' is the third studio album by American rock band Creed, released on November 20, 2001. It was the last Creed album to be released until '' Full Circle'' came out in October 2009, with Creed disbanding in June 2004. It is the only Cr ...
", the album's title track and final single, was written by Stapp about his feelings of sadness, bleakness and the pressures that came with living the rock star lifestyle while simultaneous having to conceal his rapidly deteriorating and unraveling mental state at the time from those around him. The final two tracks, "
Don't Stop Dancing "Don't Stop Dancing" is a song by Creed featured on the band's third album, ''Weathered,'' in 2001. The song features Scott Stapp's sister Aimee Stapp on backup vocals and the Tallahassee Boys' Choir singing a background chorus. Music video Th ...
" and "Lullaby", close out the album on a soft note. "Don't Stop Dancing", the album's fourth single, is a power ballad where Stapp lyrically expresses feelings of invisibility and insignificance in the world. The song features Stapp's sister Aimee Stapp on backing vocals during the bridge and the Tallahassee Boys' Choir singing a background chorus. The album's closing track, "Lullaby", is one of Creed's softest numbers. It is an acoustic duet track featuring only Tremonti on guitar and Stapp on vocals, making it the band's only song not to feature drums or bass guitar. Musically the song is a soothing piece similar to that of an actual lullaby, while lyrically the song sees Stapp telling the listener to "Just give love to all".


Artwork and packaging

The artwork for the album was designed by Mark Tremonti's brother, Daniel Tremonti, who also designed all of the band's album covers. The front cover depicts an unknown man in the foreground holding a hammer and chisel while carving the faces of Stapp, Tremonti, and Philips into the wood of a heavily
moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
ed tree. Some versions of the cover have Tremonti's head carved facing to the right, with the wordmark now centred and slightly larger, in solid white, and the album title, also enlarged, at the bottom with a black
drop shadow In graphic design and computer graphics, a drop shadow is a visual effect consisting of a drawing element which looks like the shadow of an object, giving the impression that the object is raised above the objects behind it. The drop shadow is of ...
. As with the artwork for their previous album, ''Human Clay'', the artwork for ''Weathered'' was incorporated into an online interactive game called Creed Quest. Daniel Tremonti devised the original concept and had been working with the band on design and marketing concepts since the Blue Collar Records version of ''
My Own Prison ''My Own Prison'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Creed, released in 1997. The album was released independently by the band's record label Blue Collar Records on June 24, 1997, but then was released by Wind-up Records on August 2 ...
''. Tremonti's marketing and design firm, Three Mountain Group, was the game's developer. Soon after the release of the album in late 2001, banner ads and mysterious posts began appearing on Creed fan sites, which redirected users to a website called creedquest.com. Creed Quest officially launched on January 21, 2002, and after just a couple of weeks boasted over 40,000 participants. Creed Quest was broken down into eight weekly instalments, and was played on a points system, whereby points were accumulated by successfully completing tasks, challenges, answering questions about the band, and unraveling mysteries surrounding a different fictitious short story each week. Players with the most points were then eligible for weekly prizes and one grand-prize — a trip to Universal Studios Orlando for lunch with the band, among other activities. The foundation for Creed Quest had been laid years in advance prior to the release of ''Human Clay''. Clues for the contest could be obtained in various Creed songs and album artwork, such as the clocks seen throughout the liner notes of ''Human Clay''. Other prizes included signed items, watches, sunglasses, and props such as the granite slab with "Weathered" carved into it that is seen in the artwork of the liner notes of ''Weathered''.


Promotion, release, and commercial performance

To promote the album, the band made numerous television appearances, including a spot as musical guests on the November 17, 2001, episode of Saturday Night Live where they played "Bullets" and "My Sacrifice". They also played the halftime show at the 2001 Dallas Cowboys' annual Thanksgiving Day football game on November 22. The band performed a
medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...
of their songs "My Sacrifice", "Don't Stop Dancing" and their 1999 hit single "Higher". On December 2, the band once again performed "My Sacrifice" at the 2001 My VH1 Music Awards and on the December 3, 2001, episode of '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. ''Weathered'' was released on November 20, 2001, becoming the band's second album to top the charts in the US, debuting at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album sold 887,000 copies in its first week of release,Caulfield, Keith
"Michael Jackson Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200 with ''This Is It''"
''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''. November 4, 2009.
making it the second highest selling album of 2001 for first-week sales. By the end of 2001 the album had managed to sell over 4 million units in the US, being certified 4× platinum by the RIAA on December 19, and closed out the year of 2001 with sales of 555,092 units for the week of December 29. The album remained in the top spot for eight consecutive weeks until the week of February 2, 2002, when it was finally knocked off the top spot by Alan Jackson's album ''
Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...
'', which at the time made them only the 3rd artist in the
Soundscan Era Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
to have an album debut a number one and hold onto the spot for eight or more consecutive weeks. ''Weathered'' finished number 2 on the 2002 US ''Billboard'' 200 year-end chart, and was eventually certified 6× platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 6 million units sold in just the US alone on January 6, 2003. In 2001 the album was the 15th best-selling album globally, selling 4.9 million copies. Like its predecessor, the singles from ''Weathered'' were also commercially successful. The album's lead single, "My Sacrifice", which was released in October 2001, gave the band their third top ten hit on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and their second highest-charting single on the Hot 100 (after "
With Arms Wide Open "With Arms Wide Open" is a song by American rock band Creed. It was released on April 18, 2000, as the third single from their second studio album, ''Human Clay''. The song reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 2000, b ...
") as it entered the top ten at the end of 2001 and peaked at number 4 in the week of February 9, 2002. It also topped the
Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...
chart for nine consecutive weeks, starting in December 2001. The album's second single, "Bullets", experienced moderate chart success, reaching number 11 and 27 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks and
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
respectively. "One Last Breath" was released as the third single in May 2002, and was a massive commercial hit both in the US and internationally. The song peaked at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached the top five on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks,
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
and Adult Top 40. Worldwide, the song peaked at number 43 in Australia and number 29 in New Zealand. In the United Kingdom and Ireland—where the song was released as a
double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
with "Bullets"—it peaked at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart and number 41 on the
Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...
. "Hide" was released as an International single in the form of an EP with the album versions of "Bullets" and "Unforgiven", reaching number 65 in Australia. "Don't Stop Dancing" was released as the fifth single in October 2002, reaching 24 on the US Adult Top 40 and 48 in Australia. The album's final single, the title track, was releases the next month and peaked at number 7 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks and 30 on the Alternative Airplay chart. The album had four music videos created for it: "My Sacrifice" in 2001, followed by "Bullets", "One Last Breath", and "Don't Stop Dancing" in 2002. A two-disc version of ''Weathered'' was released and contained a VCD with three music videos made for Creed's second studio album ''Human Clay''.


Critical reception

The album received mixed reviews, with some critics feeling that the album lacked creativity and liveliness, labeling ''Weathered'' as being "unimaginative", "predictable" and too serious and pretentious.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of AllMusic wrote in his 2 out of 5 star review that: "Their hearts are in the right place -- let it never be said that they're only in this for the money or the fame; they even advertise Stapp's With Arms Wide Open Foundation charity in the liner notes -- but the earnestness in their approach is magnified by their resolutely unimaginative neo-grunge." Although he praises the band's more experimental efforts noting the Cherokee Indian prayer on "Who's Got My Back" and bringing in the Tallahassee Boys' Choir for "Don't' Stop Dancing", he felt Creed had failed to break from their template and that the album was "simply another Creed record." ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' also gave the album 2 out of 5 stars, with reviewer Sal Cinquemani praising the track "Bullets", but felt many songs including "My Sacrifice", "Freedom Fighter" and "Lullaby" were overly self-righteous and that "the song's message gets lost in the same hollow pit of obscurity as the band's previously uplifting efforts." He also praised the song "Who's Got My Back", but states that the song predictably trumpets into typical testosterone-rock. Some reviewers were more receptive to the album, commending the band's restrained, and morose approach as well as the nuance of the album. James Hunter of '' Rolling Stone'' gave the album 3 and half stars out of 5, citing tracks such as "My Sacrifice", "Who's Got My Back" and "Stand Here With Me" as album highlights. He writes: "Weathered is rock of unusual focus and arrest, a beautifully distressed dance of sustained style and unapologetic emotion." Caroline Sullivan of '' The Guardian'' gave the album 3 out of 5 stars. She notes that although the album's lack of levity begins to take its toll over the course of the record, ''Weathered'' is still worth listening to "for those who want a dose of spirituality with their nu metal." In his 8 out of 10 star review of the album, Thomas Kupfer of ''
Rock Hard "Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdraw ...
'' states: "The new album proves once again that Creed doesn't work according to the truisms of big business. As with its predecessors, the production was carried out under the guidance of producer John Kurzweg and the original sound was only refined with nuances." He asserts that the title track is the band's "most compact performance of the trio to date", as well as praising some of the calmer moments on the album including "Who's Got My Back".


Tour

The ''Weathered'' tour kicked off on January 16, 2002, with an hour special
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
"Opening Night Live" performance in Atlanta, Georgia, at the
Philips Arena State Farm Arena (formerly Philips Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Atlanta Hawks. It also served as home to the National Hockey Leag ...
. The program also featured interviews by radio and television personality
Aamer Haleem Aamer or Amer is a name, used both as a surname and given name. Notable people with the name include: Aamer as surname *Ali Aamer (born 1977), Bahraini footballer * Mohamed Aamer (born 1986), Egyptian actor * Mohammad Aamer (born 1965), Pakistani ...
with Stapp, Tremonti and drummer Scott Phillips in Florida. After a successful opening night, the tour quickly hit its first snag just two weeks later when on January 30, Mark Tremonti's mother passed away, forcing the band to reschedule their February 1 performance in
East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.
at the
Continental Airlines Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...
. On February 19, 2002, Creed played at the
2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the medals ceremony. The band mostly performed songs from ''Weathered'' as well as songs from their previous two albums. American dates continued until February 23, when the band performed their rescheduled show in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The band then embarked on a half dozen international tour dates in March in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand. The band returned to the US and had originally planned to do more shows in April, followed by a European tour in May and June, and then a full-scale North American run from July until the fall. But on April 19, Stapp was involved in a serious automobile accident when he was on his way to shoot the video for "One Last Breath". At around 1:40 in the afternoon, Stapp, while driving his
Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
SUV on
Interstate 4 Interstate 4 (I-4) is an Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Spanning along a generally southwest–northeast axis, I-4 is entirely concurrent wi ...
in Florida, was struck from behind by a Ford SUV. Stapp's vehicle was rear-ended by the other vehicle that, according to Stapp, was going at "probably 50 or 60 miles per hour,". Stapp was sent flying forward in his vehicle, with his body hitting the steering wheel and his head hitting the windshield. The officer on the scene reported no injuries, but Stapp soon realized he had not gone unscathed while calling his manager after the accident. He suffered a concussion from the whiplash and from hitting the windshield. Although severely injured, Stapp still managed to show up the next day and shoot the music video, but the band's April shows as well as the European tour had to be cancelled. Things went bad to worse after an MRI later revealed the extent of Stapp's injuries including a bulging disk between two vertebrae in his neck, a smashed disk in his lower back, and an adjacent missing disk from a congenital condition that likely worsened the situation. Creed resumed the North American portion of their tour starting on July 11 in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. During the fall portion of their tour, the band hit yet another bump in the road when Stapp was diagnosed with
acute laryngitis Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks. Laryngitis is categorised ...
due to the swelling of his vocal cords. Creed was forced to postpone nine dates at the beginning of their fall tour and almost had to pull out of a live performance at Alcatraz Island off of the San Francisco coast on October 10. However, the band still played the show since they had booked the show two weeks prior as a favor to VH1 when the previously scheduled artist canceled at the last minute. Before the show, Stapp was given a shot of anti-inflammatory medication Decadron, to temporarily ease the swelling of his vocal cords, and the set had to be shortened then what was originally planned. Stapp lamented that "This ambitious tour schedule ultimately proved to be too aggressive,".


AllState Stadium Chicago Incident

As the band wrapped up their tour in December, the band played one of their most infamous shows on the 29th at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois where Stapp suffered a mental breakdown on stage, forcing the band to cut the set short just three songs in. Prior to the performance Stapp, who was addicted to pain killers and battling alcoholism at the time, mixed his medication with alcohol causing him to become inebriated. As Stapp stumbled onto the stage, he was so intoxicated that he began rolling around, laying flat on his back while struggling to get back up, was unable to sing any of the lyrics to the songs, slammed his microphone on the ground, and at one point even passed out mid-performance. The audience began to heavily boo Stapp as he proceeded to leave the stage, only to return ten minutes later and miss all of his cues, causing the rest of the band to improvise by playing a number of unplanned solos. Although the band issued an apology to their fans via email, they soon found themselves involved in a lawsuit with two of the audience members from the show, Philip Berenz and Chad Costino, who alleged that Creed owed refunds to the 15,000 members of the audience, totalling $2 million in damages. The lawsuit was eventually thrown out by the court, but the band's reputation had been damaged. Creed played their final show on December 31, 2002, with 3 Doors Down. In June 2004, the band announced their break-up.


Track listing


Original release


Bonus Video CD

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With Arms Wide Open "With Arms Wide Open" is a song by American rock band Creed. It was released on April 18, 2000, as the third single from their second studio album, ''Human Clay''. The song reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 2000, b ...
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Higher Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000 * ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...
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Personnel

;Creed * Scott Stapp - lead vocals * Mark Tremonti - guitar, bass, backing vocals * Scott Phillips - drums, keyboards ;Additional musicians *
John Kurzweg John Kurzweg (born September 5, 1960) is an American record producer and musician who first became known for his work with successful post-grunge bands Creed and Puddle of Mudd in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Other artists he has worked with ...
- keyboards *Amie Stapp - backing vocals on "Don't Stop Dancing" *Tallahassee Boys' Choir - choir on "Don't Stop Dancing" *Bo Taylor - Cherokee Indian prayer on "Who's Got My Back?" ;Production *John Kurzweg - producer *Kirk Kesley - producer *
Bob Ludwig Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945) is an American mastering engineer. He has mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Qu ...
- mastering at Gateway Mastering *Shilpa Patel - studio technician *Bobby Selvaggio - studio engineer * J. Stanley Productions Inc.- recording studio Ocoee FL. USA


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Singles


Certifications


Appearances

*The songs "My Sacrifice" and "One Last Breath" were featured as downloadable content for the video game '' Rocksmith 2014'' in 2014.


References

{{Authority control Creed (band) albums 2001 albums Wind-up Records albums