MARK TREMONTI Says CREED Bandmates Didn’t Want To Sound “Too Metal”

According to a new interview he did with Guitar Player, Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti almost took the band down a significantly more metal-sounding path… if his bandmates would have allowed it.

When asked by the publication if he felt that people categorizing Creed as post-grunge or alternative metal had any impact on the way that he wrote songs. Tremonti said that was not the case, but his bandmates’ different musical backgrounds absolutely contributed to the way Creed sounded.

“No. To begin with, I think our band was like a melting pot of different styles. I loved Alice In Chains and Soundgarden when they came out but my influences came from way before then. I was the metal guy in the band, while Scott grew up listening to a lot of Elvis, the Doors and classic rock. He was very sheltered early on; I don’t think a lot of rock and roll was getting played in his house. Brian was a Rush guy, Scott Phillips’ favorite band was Living Colour.

“So as the guy who wrote most of Creed’s music, I would come with metal. And they would constantly push back on me, saying it was ‘too metal’. I had to fit the mould with the rest of the guys, and that’s how we got our sound.”

Imagine a future where Creed played heavy metal. While you might not ever get to hear that, you can catch Creed live, thanks to their packed touring schedule.