Stone Temple Pilots 2010

Stone Temple Pilots’ comeback

The American rock group Stone Temple Pilots was among the most popular at the end of the last century not only in its home country but also had an impressive fan base all around the world. The front man Scott Weiland together with brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo, bass guitar and guitar accordingly, and drummer Eric Kretz recorded four successful albums, the first of which, 1992’s Core is today 8 times platinum, as well as released singles reaching the chart tops. Unfortunately Scott’s drug problems often led to concert performances cancellations and conflicts in the band. As a result practically all the band members were busy with solo projects in different times, and in 2003 Stone Temple Pilots disbanded seemingly for good. Yet the guys met gathered again in 2008 and made a re-union tour. In the performing process several new songs were born to soon turn into the sixth full-length work opening a new chapter in the Stone Temple Pilots’ story and hence eponymous.

Unexpectedly heartfelt songs on Temple Pilots (Deluxe Edition)

Songs on the sixth album Stone Temple Pilots are interesting first of all by the way they were created. Brothers DeLeo composed most of the melodies and instrumental parts, then Scott listened to them, got some ideas in his mind and wrote lyrics. If Weiland was previously concentrated on himself, on his feelings about the world at this or that moment of time and on his relations with drugs this time around he decided it was time to pay attention to the others. Therefore the main themes of the new compositions are Scott’s relations with his ex-wife, with his father and other people who know him well or do not know at all. It is interesting that that the front man’s ideas surprises the composers each time as they could not even imagine that it was possible to make such heart-felt songs out of their melodies. Almost all the tunes got named from the start, and after the text was written even if it had nothing to do with the title it remained the same. One should definitely name the song Huckleberry Crumble among the album’s highlights due to its astounding guitars and memorable chorus, a complicated and unusual track Dare If You Dare initially composed on piano and then laid on guitars with some effects, as well as the most sincere song Hazy Daze, telling of Scott’s hard childhood and relations with his father. The best example of Dean’s guitar playing is the composition Fast As I Can, whereas the number First Kiss On Mars unites space lyrics and country elements. The Deluxe Edition of the album also offers a number of live songs letting us feel the emotional atmosphere of Stone Temple Pilots’ concerts.

Emotions combined with powerful riffs and impetuous drums

It is worth while noting that the album Stone Temple Pilots presents mostly alternative rock and grunge genres, the influence of country music is traced clearly on a number of songs, and the flavor of the 1960s’ rock is felt on many compositions. The sixth record was produced by brothers DeLeo themselves. Their main goal was to make each of the four-piece play on the edge of his capacity. Guitarists experimented a lot with the sounding of different guitars, pedals and effects getting the best combinations on verses and chorus, speeding the tempo up and down. Besides the record’s not official producer Don Was worked much on Scott’s vocals making every song sound perfect. Thus the record Stone Temple Pilots results to be emotional, at times unusually sincere and soulful, at the same time the fans will not be disappointed by the powerful riffs and impetuous drums. One cannot say that the album Stone Temple Pilots is the best in the band’s discography but it is a really worthy comeback of a collective with rich history, and hopefully the musicians will soon please us with the fruit of their joint efforts.