In the wake of past mistakes, a man clings to hope on “One Last Breath” (“Somewhere in His grace I cried out, heaven save me”). Even after asking God if He has forgotten him, the singer returns to his knees and believes, “At times life is wicked and I just can’t see the light/. . . I know I must go on/Although I hurt, I must be strong” (“Don’t Stop Dancing”). “Who’s Got My Back?,” “Hide,” “My Sacrifice” and the sweet “Lullaby” all advocate “giving love” to others. Creed asks, “Why do we live with all this hate inside?” on “Bullets.” Good question. Vague nods to biblical truth appear on “Freedom Fighter” (“pride comes before a fall”) and “Who’s Got My Back?” (which refers to a divine covenant being broken). “Stand Here with Me” credits a friend for revealing that “there’s a right way to live” and “the world is bigger than me.” On the title track, a weathered soul wants to overcome indifference, callousness and loneliness (“I choose to win/I choose to fight”).
None, though the overall tone here is murkier than on the band’s last release.
Stapp and Co. aren’t quite as upbeat here as on Human Clay. But while they seem more aware of life’s hardships and pain, they still manage to avoid despair. Where there’s a shadow, there’s a light. If Human Clay looked at life from a Mark 16 perspective, you might say Weathered views it through the filter of Jeremiah 20. For fans of this hard-rocking genre, it’s a good mainstream alternative to the likes of Korn, Staind and Drowning Pool.
