American rock band Stone Temple Pilots released a second self-titled album on March 16, 2018. This is Stone Temple Pilots’ first album without longtime vocalist Scott Weiland, who died of a drug overdose in 2015. After Weiland, who has been with the band ever since its inception in 1989, Stone Temple Pilots teamed up with the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park to release an LP called High Rise in 2013.
Jeff Gutt, a former X-Factor runner, was recruited by the band and released the first single from their new album, “Meadow”. This melodic and energetic song sounds just like Stone Temple Pilots, expressing their light-hearted nature and catchy riffs. “Meadow” is by far the best song on the album. Hearing Jeff Gutt perform admirably on the first single gave fans something to be excited for. Dean DeLeo’s soloist ability is also put to good use here.
“Middle of Nowhere” is a decent introductory song to the album. It sounds like the STP of old and relies heavily on the guitar riffs. Lyrics are generic but together they make an overall decent song. The next song “Guilty” also has somewhat generic lyrics but is carried by the distinctive rhythm guitar sections. This slower paced song puts Gutt’s lyrics to good use.
“Good Shoes” and “Just a Little Ride” are both middle of the road in terms of quality but both have effective riffs and vocals. The former song has a great lead guitar section by DeLeo. “Roll Me Under” leans towards more generic rock that is reminiscent of 2000’s era post-grunge and hard rock but is also a better song in the album.
“Six Eight” is the most STP-like song on the album. The track features a masterful solo by DeLeo and their signature high energy feel. “Never Enough” has roadhouse-style vibes to it but comes off as another by-the-numbers track.
The best songs from the album, other than “Meadow”, are “Thought She’d Be Mine”, “The Art of Letting Go” and “Finest Hour”. The first two tracks in the aforementioned list are slow ballads reminiscent of other STP ballads such as “Creep” and “Interstate Love Song”. The two new ballads feature skillful acoustic guitar work and lead STP into rather unfamiliar territory. “Finest Hour” is a pure tribute to Weiland and Bennington, and the song’s placement behind “The Art of Letting Go” is perfect.
The main criticism of this album is that it is by-the-numbers. There is some good rock to be found here for anyone interested in post-grunge or alternative rock, but it comes off as generic at times. Jeff Gutt does decent at imitating Weiland but the band should move on and leave their prior legacy untouched. Staying true to a sound is one thing, but STP should look towards evolving and showing people that Weiland wasn’t the band himself.
