Oddly enough, I was just driving the other day listening to Creed and thinking, "they fucking rock."
I'll be honest, I think they are a great band. And I don't think they are manufactured at all. I think they are one of the last true rock bands with a unique sound and real feeling to their work.
Have you listened to the whole "Weathered" CD? It is very different than their first two CD's. Its got a much harder edge, and the lead singer definitely is beginning to experiment, doing different things with his voice.
Anyway, I'll take Creed anyday over guys like Linkin Park and the 8000 bands that sound just like them.