Creed, one of the most successful of the late Nineties post-grunge bands, have decided to break up after nine years together.

"It's kind of sad to end a chapter of your life, but it's also exciting starting a new one," guitarist Mark Tremonti said. "We'll always be proud of the music we made with Creed." Added singer Scott Stapp, "Creed was one of the most amazing journeys through music and friendship I am blessed to say I was a part of."

Stapp and Tremonti were friends in Tallahassee, Florida, who began writing songs together in the mid-Nineties. They enlisted bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips, and gave the band the name Creed in 1995. Stapp is the son of a Pentecostal minister, and, because of the spiritual bent to the band's lyrics, Creed were sometimes tagged a Christian rock act, a label that never quite sat right with the band.

But the debate mattered little to fans. The group released its debut, My Own Prison, on independent Wind-Up Records in 1997, and the record went on to sell more than 4 million copies. The band's follow-up, 1999's Human Clay, was an even bigger success, topping 11 million copies sold, and paving the way for a third smash, 2002's Weathered, which has sold more than 6 million to date.

Tremonti, Phillips and Marshall have teamed with Mayfield Four singer-songwriter Myles Kennedy to form Alter Bridge. The new band will release its debut album, One Day Remains, on August 10th. Stapp has also been busy writing and recording. He'll contribute a new solo track to an August 31st compilation of songs inspired by the film The Passion of the Christ, and he also plans to work with Canadian band the Tea Party on a full-length album.

A Creed compilation is scheduled for release later this year.

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