Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots
Grammy Award winners Stone Temple Pilots’ sixth album became the number one rock album in the US in June and looks to be doing very well on this side of the pond. Their first all-new album for nearly ten years shows off their ability to capture the sounds of pop, punk, psychedelia and rock to deliver a memorable collection of nostalgia-fuelled decadence. Having been dominant in the 1990s and selling more than 35 million albums worldwide, the band decided to move in separate directions in 2000. Eight years later, they got back together and extensively toured North America, gathering momentum and praise as they bulldozed their way back into the public domain.
In May this year they released the single ‘Between The Lines’, which is the opening track on the album. The song is a statement that Stone Temple Pilots are back. It’s short (just under three minutes), punchy and has the sneering, Dylan-infused Weiland singing about love over some intricate backing. The guitar solo of Dean DeLeo is quite memorable and the reference to drugs in the chorus seems to bring it all nicely together. I’m sure that this will be a hit with the fans at festivals and during their tour later this year.
‘Take A Load Off’ and ‘Huckleberry Crumble’ continue in the same up-tempo vein before the album moves to a more reflective pop-rock feel. This is most evident in the song ‘Cinnamon’. The tracks come thick and fast and your interest is enhanced by the constant movement from one style to another. It could actually be a different band playing on each track. Some may find this a distraction, though after a few plays, it all becomes irrelevant as you listen to each track for what it is. The closing track ‘Maver’ seems an odd way to close out this predominantly rock album as it sees the band move to a mellower, acoustic sound. It’s still a good song.
I was impressed with the guitar playing of Dean DeLeo’s on this album, especially the solo on ‘Take A Load Off’ which echoed of Turner/Powell’s classic Wishbone Ash intricacies and commanding melodies. The album as a whole will more than prop them up for live dates, they have returned and will no doubt storm the charts everywhere.