CD Review: Scott Stapp - The Great Divide

blogcritics.com, December 29 2006

Scott Stapp, for the uninitiated was the lead singer for the we-swear-we-are-not-a-Christian-band Creed. Although the band rejected the Christian band label (probably out of fear of being over-marketed as such a band) anyone who paid attention to the lyrics knew all to well that Creed (or at least Scott Stapp) was all about the man upstairs. But solo-Stapp comes out of the Christian Rock closet. In his thanks printed on the CD booklet he begins by thanking "My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!"

Stapp rams through the starting gate of his solo career with a hard pounding, aggressive, soulful and introspective album. OK so the music isn't innovative. It sounds exactly like Creed and even Creed wasn't a big innovator musically speaking. It takes no chances and is pretty formulaic. But if you loved Creed, you won't get enough of The Great Divide. Not simply because of the catchy and punchy melodies, but because it's Stapp's hard and haunting voice, his spiritual intensity and he really pours his soul out in this album.

Stapp seems to grasp something that most believers do not. Most believers seem to think that faith is about living under a code of conduct, being crushed down by dogma, strapping yourself to the ideals of being saved. Stapp doesn't preach at all. He simply surrenders. Faith is about the surrender.

There are obvious remarks and issues with the breakup of Creed, issues about his anger towards the band. And he's not afraid to speak of his addictions and love of the bottle. He seems to say "Hey I'm a screw up but I'm the one dealing with".

But most of the album deals with surrendering to God and asking to be saved. And it's particularly moving. I'm a godless Buddhist-wannabe but yet the intensity of his faith, the strength behind it, anchored by his heavy melodious voice almost makes me want to believe. I don't supplicate to any god, but I can't help but be moved by those with such intense faith. It takes strength, fortitude to surrender your self to the absolute, which is beyond the concept of God. Stapp's beliefs are deep enough that his lyrics border on the new-age at points.

I'm not going to analyze all the songs in depth in this review. Again, if Creed was your thing, get this album, you won't be sorry. I've been listening to it all day and it hasn't yet begun to get boring. There's nothing Popish about it and it's not the Christian Rock that would play in churches but it is accessible to anyone with a love for music and introspective lyrics. It's refreshing to hear lyrics that have meaning and doesn't sound manufactured by producers just looking for a hit. And it has deep meaning, it's personal. No sappy love songs about love lost and found. No silly ballade about finding The One. No bringing out the violins... oh wait, the last song does break out the violins, but it still works somewhat.

I give it a soulful 4 outta 5.