Human Clay (Deluxe Edition)

In the future, theologians will study Creed’s lyrics to grasp the scope of American spiritual angst in the 1990s. Human Clay (1999), the band’s second album, returned to the ground covered in their debut, with singer Scott Stapp once again wrestling with his inner furies, raging and beseeching as guitarist Mark Tremoni lays down blasts of precision-aimed guitar fire. Creed’s pain-wracked brand of hard rock owes a debt to both early ‘90s grunge bands and ‘70s metal-mongers like Led Zeppelin and (gasp) Black Sabbath. On Human Clay, they hammer these influences into melodic-yet-muscular songs that avoid excess bombast. Stapp’s God-obsessed lyrics are the true meat of the music: “Higher” claws its way heavenward as it builds to a volcanic chorus; “Are You Ready” staggers towards inner awakening over a throbbing guitar riff; “Faceless Man” confronts a Christ-like presence amidst a seething, prodding track. Relieving the torment is “With Arms Wide Open,” a stirring anthem written for Stapp’s son Jagger. Human Clay grapples mightily with questions of the soul — even as it grinds out hellaciously good rock.