Stone Temple Pilots is an American band that has become a legend in alternative rock music. The musicians left a huge legacy on which several generations have grown up.
Stone Temple Pilots line-up
Rock band frontman Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo met at a concert in California. The men turned out to have similar views on creativity, which prompted them to create their own group. The musicians named the young band Mighty Joe Young.
In addition to the founders of the group, the original line-up also included:
- brother of bassist Din DeLeo;
- drummer Eric Kretz.
Before collaborating with producer Brendan O'Brien, the young band built a local audience around San Diego. The performers were forced to change their name, since such a name was already officially borne by a blues performer. After changing their name, the rockers entered into an agreement with Atlantic Records in 1991.
Performance style
American musicians created songs with a unique sound. Their playing style has been described as a mixture of alternative, grunge and hard rock. The insane skill of the guitar brothers gave the band an eclectic and psychedelic sound. The old-school style of the group was complemented by the slow and groovy pace of the drummer and the low vocals of the main soloist.
The band's vocalist Scott Weiland was the main songwriter. The main themes of the musicians' ballads revealed social problems, religious views and the power of the government.
Successful Stone Temple Pilots albums
Stone Temple Pilots released their first record "Core" in 1992 and became an instant hit. The success of the singles "Plush" and "Creep" contributed to the sale of more than 8 million copies of the record in America alone. After 2 years, the rockers presented the collection "Purple". He is also loved by a large number of fans.
The single "Interstate Love Song" reached the top of many charts. In addition, the most listened to song was fixed at 15th position on the Billboard Hot 100. After the release of the record, the band's sound took on a more psychedelic character. The main soloist became interested in drugs. Subsequently, the addiction led the musician to temporary legal problems.
After a short break in 1995, Stone Temple Pilots released their third album Tiny Music. The album also went platinum. The third album turned out to be more daring and crazy than the previous ones.
The most streamed songs on the album are:
- "Big Bang Baby";
- "Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart";
- Lady Picture Show.
Scott Weiland continued to face serious drug problems. Therefore, in 1996 and 1997 the group had a break. During the rehabilitation of the main soloist, the remaining members of the group continued their own projects.
creative lull
In 1999 Stone Temple Pilots released their fourth album titled "No. 4". The last successful single in it was the composition "Sour Girl". In 2001, the group released the album Shangri-La Dee Da. Later, in 2002, for unknown reasons, the team broke up.
After the dissolution of the group, the main soloist joined the successful band Velvet Revolver. Led by a musician, the group recorded two compilations in 2004 and 2007. Cooperation turned out to be short-lived - in 2008 the group broke up.
Other members of the group did not give up creativity either. The DeLeo brothers formed the "Army of Anyone" collective. However, the project was not successful. The band released an album in 2006 and left the stage in 2007. The Stone Temple Pilots drummer also played music. He ran his own studio and worked as a drummer for Spiralarms.
Vocalist change
Stone Temple Pilots reunited in 2008 and released their sixth album to mediocre success. Scott Weiland's drug problem and legal conflicts again made it difficult for the band to tour. Plans for the further development of the team fell apart. In February 2013, the band announced the permanent dismissal of Scott Weiland.
In May 2013, the band collaborated with a new vocalist. It was Chester Bennington from Linkin Park. Together with him, the band released the single "Out of Time". The new soloist assured that he would try to combine work in both groups. Bennington toured with the band until 2015, but soon returned to Linkin Park .
In the winter of the same year, at the age of 48, the former vocalist of the group, Scott Weiland, died. According to official figures, the musician died in his sleep from an overdose of prohibited substances. The singer received posthumous recognition as "the voice of a generation" along with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.
Despite a tumultuous and tragic decade, the band celebrated its 25th anniversary in September 2017. Shortly thereafter, they hired Jeffrey Gutt as lead singer. The vocalist was noticed thanks to his participation in the competition "The X Factor".
Stone Temple Pilots current career
In 2018, the updated line-up of musicians released their first album with a new vocalist. The compilation climbed to number 24 on the Billboard Top 200. In 2020, the band changed the stylistic direction for their eighth studio album. The album was recorded using unexpected instruments - a flute, string instruments and even a saxophone.
