STONE TEMPLE PILOTS- STONE TEMPLE PILOTS REVIEW
BY GRUNGEREPORT.NET OWNER BRETT BUCHANAN

My most anticipated rock album of all time is here, well, at least for me it is.  After 9 long years, my favorite band Stone Temple Pilots are back with a new self-titled album.  I was sent a streaming version of the album by Atlantic Records today.  The album is set for release on May 25th.  Let'™s cut to the chase, here'™s my track by track review of the new album:

BETWEEN THE LINES

The album kicks off with a bang; you'™ve all heard the lead single by now.  The first track is definitely a sign of things to come on the album.  It rocks and it has a poppy and catchy melody.  I have been playing Between The Lines to death since it came out and it ranks among STP'™s top singles.  STP pay homage to Nirvana during the bridge, I know some people have been ripping on them for it but it fits perfectly into the song right as it kicks in to Dean DeLeo'™s phenomenal solo.  Weiland also sounds similar to Bob Dylan on this song.

TAKE A LOAD OFF

The riff on this song reminds me a lot of Army of Anyone.  The difference is Scott Weiland is a better singer than Richard Patrick.  The song has a great melody and hook.  It'™s Army of Anyone with balls.  The verses kind of sound like 'Transmissions from a Lonely Room.'   Dean'™s solo sounds straight off Shangri LA DEE DA.  This is an amazing song; with the one two punch of Between The Lines and Take a Load Off the albums kicks off triumphantly.

HUCKLEBERRY CRUMBLE

The song in the studio sounds similar to the live version, but Scott'™s voice is better produced and not nasal and raspy like it is live.  So far this is the least poppy song on the album, it sounds similar to Aerosmith but with an STP spin added too.  I see this being a favorite on the album for many.

HICKORY DICHOTOMY

Everybody has heard Hickory Dichotomy by now on Amazon.com streaming.  Huckleberry Crumble and Hickory Dichotomy are almost like brother songs, they both have that classic 70'™s rock and roll vibe with an updated vibe.  The chorus sounds like classic 90'™s STP.  This song features some of Dean'™s best playing on the album.

DARE IF YOU DARE

STP have never recorded a song quite like this.  The lyrics are very abstract and Weiland breaks some new ground with lines like, 'Nose grows like a lifelike Pinocchio.'   The song doesn'™t really sound like anything any members of STP have done in any of their projects before.  The chorus kicks in at 1:20 and is one of Weiland'™s best in years, 'Dare, dare if you dare, dare to be something, dare to be real.'   Dean'™s solo is beautiful, on the album Dean doesn'™t even need to rip during his solos in order to make them memorable.  This is honestly one of the best songs STP have ever recorded and this is my favorite song on the album.  It is simply epic and an instant STP classic.

CINNAMON

This is the poppiest song STP have ever recorded.  Weiland sings, 'I'™d like to sing a story for you, here'™s what I'™ll sing if I can impress you, baby can you hear me, you'™ve got to be the prettiest girl, I'™ve ever witnessed in the whole world.'   I'™ve never quite heard an STP song like this, it sounds like a song that could be a crossover radio hit.  I'™d be shocked if this wasn'™t a single.  The boys can still write hits.

HAZY DAZE

The opening riff sounds Rage Against The Machinesque, I'™ve never heard an opening riff like this in any STP song.  The song sounds kind of similar to Velvet Revolver at least melodically, some of the verses sound like 'Do It For The Kids.'   'My friends always wondered asked how you been, well I'™ve seen better days.  Am I mistaken?  Could you be sitting there lonely too?'   The song really gets awesome during the last 1:30 and starts to sound different melodically.  Dean plays a rocking solo that sounds like it could have been on Core, as a matter of fact as the song goes on it starts to sound more like Core than Velvet Revolver.

BAGMAN

Amazon.com posted this song a few days ago, it'™s a catchy little track that revolves around it'™s chorus.  Scott'™s voice sounds fantastic on it, I know the lyrics are a little light but I think lyrically it lightens the mood after Scott sings about depression in Hazy Daze.  Dean'™s guitar solo sounds Tiny Musicesque on this one.

PEACOAT

This is another heavy one in the same vein as Hazy Daze, a little more mid tempo though.  It has a couple of breakdowns with lead back into the main heavy plodding riff. The chorus is very catchy and sounds like it could have been off of Velvet Revolver'™s Contraband, 'I sleep all day, I drink all day, you'™re the price that I pay.'   This is one of the heavier songs on the album but still has poppy elements musically.

FAST AS I CAN

This song will definitely be a rock radio hit.  It'™s the most Purple sounding song on the album and the chorus is one of the catchiest on the album.  This could have easily been the lead single.  Scott sings, 'She don'™t even like you any more, ain'™t no chance she loves you like before.  She won'™t even take you to the mall.  Gotta gotta find a way.  Thinkin of something, something to say.'   The brilliant chorus goes like this, 'I don'™t know I'™m feeling oh so low, I'™m feeling oh so high.  Why why why am I crying?  Running fast through the liquor store, I quickly hit the wall and stumble through the other door.'

FIRST KISS ON MARS

'First Kiss on Mars'  starring Scott Weiland as David Bowie.  This song is basically what you would think it is, Scott singing like David Bowie.  The music to it is great and after about a minute when Scott tones down on the Bowie impression the song starts to sound great.  Some really great abstract lyrics here, I think it'™d be even better though if Scott toned the Bowie stuff down.  It'™s a solid song especially musically.  The 'Breathe over and over'  part is the best part of the song during the last minute or so.

MAVER

Many were expecting this to sound like previous STP album closers like 'Atlanta'  and 'Kitchenware and Candybars,'  but like I keep saying about a lot of these songs, this sounds different from anything they'™ve ever done.  This is the most Beatlesque sounding song on the album, it has everything from pianos to acoustic guitars, and of course a beautiful Dean DeLeo solo that leads into an acoustic part.  This is another one of my favorites from the album, I think the sound will surprise many listeners.

Overall Stone Temple Pilots is an amazing album and a great return to form for STP.  While I love Shangri LA DEE DA, this album has far more continuity and is very cohesive.  This definitely blows away No. 4, which has a few tracks that are debatably filler.  The songs on this album that didn'™t catch me immediately (Hazy Daze'  and Peacoat) are growing on me with each listen.  My favorite songs on the album so far in order are: Dare if You Dare, Cinnamon, Fast As I Can, Between The Lines, Take a Load Off, and Maver.  The whole album is phenomenal and it was hard to whittle my favorites list down to 6.  The DeLeos and Eric Kretz sound 'scrumtrulescent'  in the words of Will Ferrell as James Lipton.  Scott Weiland was correct when he said Dean DeLeo steps up on this album, he absolutely rips and plays some of the best solos of his career.  This is the rock record of the year so far.

May 8, 2010 EDIT:

I give the album a 9.5/10.  The only song that still hasn'™t got me is 'Hazy Daze'  and despite the weak opening it has some very catchy parts.

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