Artist: Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington
Title: High Rise EP
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 25th October 2013
Label: Epic d (Sony Music)
EP Review
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS were the car-crash nearly-men of the Grunge era, chalking up some hefty sales and a smattering of big singles, despite an almost constant critical mauling. Their implosion came with a drastic change in direction and the increasingly disastrous lifestyle choices of human drug-dustbin Scott Weiland. He went on to front rock poseurs VELVER REVEOLVER with Slash from GUNS ‘N ROSES. After a brief reunion with his original band he was officially fired in 2013 and the remnants of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS were left bereft of a vocalist. Teaming up with Chester Bennington, of Nu-Metal and Emo pioneers LINKIN PARK, would seem to be a marriage made in heaven. It’s not quite that impressive however.
‘Out Of Time’ has a heavy rock riff coursing through its veins, with Mr Bennington reminding everyone what an impressive set of pipes he has. He does bluesy and sleazy perfectly well, alongside every other shade of vocal acrobatic, but nothing really rescues this from standard rock fare. It’s ok. But nothing more. ‘Black Heart’ has a more purposeful stomp to it, it’s hugely ‘70’s in feel, a bit of DEEP PURPLE and WHITESNAKE thrown in to the mix. ‘Same On The Inside’ showcases the gentler vocal side to Chester Bennington, but it still feels like a song LINKIN PARK would have rejected. It never really engages. ‘Cry Cry’ works well in the verse, stripped down and moody, but too many stodgy guitars drag it down in the chorus and it ends up another standard rock song, lacking any real passion or ideas. Final track ‘Tomorrow’ sounds exactly like the final track on many an EP. Filler.
On the whole this is okay, but a collaboration such as this ought to have produced something far more explosive. What is delivered is pretty much rock-by-numbers, and for that reason it will probably sell in inexplicably huge amounts and make everyone happy while challenging no-one. Ah well.
Tracklist
01. Out Of Time
02. Black Heart
03. Same On The Inside
04. Cry Cry
05. Tomorrow
Line-up
Chester Bennington – vocals
Robert DeLeo – Bass
Dean DeLeo – Guitars
Eric Kretz – Drums
Website
http://stonetemplepilots.com/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 6
Sound: 6
Total: 6 / 10
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