Im pleading as youre leaving/Im begging you to stay/Im not the man I used to be/Ive changed. Away in Silence

Five years ago, Wind-up Records recording artist Creed disbanded in what turned into an acrimonious split that left lead singer Scott Stapp and the rest of the band—guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall—on opposite sides, each pursuing separate careers, with Stapp as a solo performer, the other three forming Alter Bridge.

After three, multi-platinum albums in 1996s My Own Prison (6 million), 1999s Human Clay (11 million) and 2001s Weathered (6 million), the last two debuting at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, selling a total of more than 26 million in the U.S. alone, with hits like My Own Prison, Torn, Whats This Life For, One, Higher, With Arms Wide Open, My Sacrifice and One Last Breath, Creed had hit a roadblock, both professional, and even more, personal.

A meeting at an Orlando hotel, where Stapp and Tremonti exchanged pictures of their families, resulted in a reconciliation and a decision for Creed to tour with its original line-up. Not wanting the shows to spotlight just their past greatest hits, the reunited band entered the studio with noted producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Daughtry, Flyleaf, Motorhead, Papa Roach), and the resulting album was aptly dubbed Full Circle, indicating Creeds long journey to the present, or as Stapp and Tremonti both put it, a second chance to make a first impression with each other and our fans.

Indeed, Full Circle represents the band at its best, with the first single, Overcome, spotlighting Creeds remarkable transformation and welcome comeback onto the rock scene. Everything we are and used to be/Is buried and gone, claims Stapp. Im entitled to overcome.

When we split, nobody thought we would ever get back together again, acknowledges band co-founder Tremonti, who first befriended Stapp while classmates at the same Orlando high school before attending Florida State together. But five-six years go by, and things change. We realized what we had built was more important than any of our individual quirks. Scott is definitely a more humble guy now. He has respect for everyone around him, but were all more mature, grown men with families of our own. Were all playing nice.

Throughout the album, Stapp confronts his well-publicized demons, which included depression-fueled bouts with alcohol and drugs, which threatened to tear apart his relationship with his wife and family as well as his bandmates. In Rain, he looks for the cleansing showers to wash away what he calls all that garbage.

In order for us to write and create as truthfully and honestly as we did in the past, we needed that bond, that trust, to exist between us again, says Scott. The sincerity of these songs reflects the rebuilding of the friendship.

They may be renewed, but the bands brand of melodic rock, with its anthem-like choruses and wide-screen canvas is both harks back to their prime and points the direction into the future. Its funny how times can change, sings Stapp. Rearranging distance makes/The pain fades away.

At our peak, I just think people got tired of us. We were overexposed, says Tremonti of the bands five-year absence. It was a good time for us to take some time off.

With a tour on tap after starting the album, Creed knew they had to seize the opportunity and work as hard as they ever had.

Things went much quicker in the studio this time, says Tremonti. It was definitely a cooperative experience. We were all open-minded going in. There was a great deal of meeting of the minds, which made the final recording as strong as it is.

This is a brand-new Creed, explains Stapp. We kind of lost our individual identities along the way. Weve had a chance to establish our lives outside the band, growing as men in terms of lifes responsibilities, taking care of our wives and children. We all have a renewed sense of self-confidence and security in ourselves.