Creed Live

Filmed in Houston at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in September 2009, this concert captures Creed's reunion after a six-year hiatus, with the Grammy Award–winning outfit putting on a big show with all the trimmings, from strobe lights to pyrotechnics. All four members are back: vocalist Scott Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips, and bassist Brian Marshall, plus touring guitarist Eric Friedman (after Creed's dissolution, Tremonti, Phillips, and Marshal formed Alter Bridge with Myles Kennedy). The band performs 17 selections in their patented quasi-metallic style, including tracks from 2009's Full Circle (“Rain,” “Overcome”), while also reaching back to material from their first three records, including 1997's self-released My Own Prison, which produced “Torn,” one of several hit singles. Throughout, the riffs pound and the sweat flows as a record-breaking 239 hi-def cameras preserve the event for posterity. If critics have long lambasted the platinum-selling act for lack of originality, they'll probably feel much the same about the reunited foursome, who look a little different—Stapp has gone from long hair to no hair—but sound the same (still hard to distinguish one track from the next). DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, photo gallery, and a music video for “Overcome.” Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, and stereo, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)