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Stone Temple Pilots With Chester Bennington “High Rise” EP – An Instant Rock Classic? Yes It Is!

Posted in classic rock, grunge, Hard Rock, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, Music, rock bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , on October 15, 2013 by Metal Odyssey

Stone Temple Pilots - High Rise - EP - promo cover

5 Out Of 5 METAL Fists!

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Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington – High Rise EP was released on October 8th, 2013. This is the first of what is to be (hopefully) many more releases with Chester Bennington (of Linkin Park) on vocals. Yes, Chester Bennington hits a cosmic grand slam singing on this EP! Of course, that’s my Metal opinion, however, I guarantee y’all that I’m not alone!

As Chester Bennington had put it, on October 8th, on the Linkin Park Facebook page: “I am very excited that today marks the release of the HIGH RISE EP and the beginning of a new era for Stone Temple Pilots.” I’ll have to 100% agree with Mr. Bennington there! A new era for Stone Temple Pilots indeed! I absolutely believe that Chester Bennington can sing ANY song from the iconic catalog of Stone Temple Pilots with not just ease… he’ll sing any STP song with passion, sincerity and pride!

Stone Temple Pilots - Black Heart - promo cover pic - 2013

Listen to the latest single “Black Heart” from the High Rise EP by clicking here: http://news.iheart.com/iplaylist/artist/26075

The Grunge movement, yes, is a storied chapter in Rock history. Regardless of silly genre labeling, STP is a Seattle Heavy Rock ‘N Roll band in my world. With that said, STP (as with Alice In Chains) have (once again) gone into a direction musically that I find as instantly classic! I’m happy to say that this new STP EP is as BIG of a surprise to me than I’ve ever expected! I honestly cannot believe how enormous all 5 songs on High Rise play out and sound! Don’t be misunderstood, STP still comes out strong with their classic sound on this EP; it’s just that STP sounds more confident and bolder than ever before! I commend STP for releasing a 5 song EP with Chester Bennington, while not making their fans yearn for new material.

(Former) vocalist Scott Weiland may be gone and on his own now, still, I won’t turn my nose up at him; regardless of the negative stories that have surrounded him for many years running. Hey, no matter how we try to slice it, Scott Weiland is a Rock legend, just as all the members of STP (including Chester) are. Heck, I will forever get the ostrich bumps on my arms and face, while listening to Scott Weiland sing my 3 favorite STP songs of all time: Plush, Wicked Garden and Interstate Love Song.

Stone Temple Pilots - Chester Bennington - promo band flyer - 2013 - #477

I would think that a vast majority of STP fans will be bouncing off the ceiling for this new era of the band. I tried to bounce off my ceiling only it just didn’t work out too good. Emails have poured in asking me which is my favorite song off of High Rise. My favorite song is: Black Heart. (See above link to hear it!) This ultra Rockin’ song, as with this entire EP, are sonic proof that you don’t need to get too complicated with Rock ‘N Roll in order to make an instant Rock classic. BUY this High Rise EP and be happy that STP exists in 2013. Metal be thy name.

One last Metal thought:

By the way, if y’all found I ranted along too much here, please do not complain to my supervisor. Please don’t. Have some heart. Working here at Metal Odyssey is so fucking cool, cause the owner lets me take (many) beer breaks.

HIGH RISE EP – Track Listing:

Out Of Time

Black Heart

Same On The Inside

Cry Cry

Tomorrow

The new High Rise EP featuring “Out of Time” and “Black Heart” is now available! Purchase the High Rise EP on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/stphighrise

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Dean DeLeo – guitar

Robert DeLeo – bass

Eric Kretz – drums

Chester Bennington – vocals

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* For More Info:

Facebook: Stone Temple Pilots

Website: http://www.stonetemplepilots.com

Stone - Motorhead Tee pic:small

LONG LIVE STONE TEMPLE PILOTS.

LONG LIVE CHESTER BENNINGTON.

Stone.

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Army Of Anyone – A Hard Rock Band this credible has to make a return

Posted in 1990's hard rock music, Album Review, essential hard rock albums, essential rock albums, Hard Rock, hard rock album review, hard rock drummers, hard rock guitarists, hard rock music 2006, hard rock music this decade, hard rock songs, hard rock vocalists, Music, progressive hard rock music, progressive rock, progressive rock music, Rock, rock album reviews, rock music, rock vocalists with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 29, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Army Of Anyone band picture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Army Of Anyone, the supergroup made up of Dean DeLeo (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals) from Stone Temple Pilots, Richard Patrick (lead vocals) from Filter and Ray Luzier (drums) from the David Lee Roth band released a Hard Rock winner, back on November 14, 2006. In my Metal opinion, I wish this band would have stayed together to release many, many, more albums. I purchased the debut CD, self titled “Army Of Anyone”, the first week of it’s release… I have frequently reminded myself that I constantly listen to this band, buy why? Oh, how a Hard Rock album will sound when skillful musicians are at the top of their game, creating a bounty of melodies, mixed together with creatively inspired chords and lead vocals, all fastened together with a rhythm section so tight that the grooves it manifests serves to magnify the progressive musical energy around it. In essence, I really enjoy listening to the Hard Rock music from Army Of Anyone.

I own a Sony 5 CD disc changer, (my wife bought it for me way back in 1990), it has become a permanent component for my stereo system going on twenty years now. It plays fantastic to this very day, (knock on Metal), with extensive and constant usage. This Army Of Anyone CD has been almost permanently inside this Sony disc changer going on three years straight. I say almost, for whenever I take this Army Of Anyone CD out of the disc changer, it usually is not for more than a few days… I have reached the point where it does not feel right unless this CD is in place, ready to be played at a moments notice. Army Of Anyone is that good… no, instead, Army Of Anyone is that great. This band is Hard Rock, yes, only they have put to use their Progressive Hard Rock, musical tentacles… reaching out far beyond what current Hard Rock mainstream bands are currently striving for, musically.

I embrace the music of Army Of Anyone far more greater than the music of Stone Temple Pilots or Filter. (You can throw in the David Lee Roth Band too, that is a no brainer). This is only one album from Army Of Anyone and here I am, staking an extremely higher allegiance to them, than compared to STP or Filter. Honestly, there is no comparison, other than the fact of Dean and Robert DeLeo being members of STP, (the real reason why STP is a musically recognized and popular band in the first place). Plus, throw in the fact that STP regrouped and embarked on touring the past year and Richard Patrick has Filter firing on all cylinders, well, Army Of Anyone has become a musically elite supergroup in limbo. The glory, fame, popularity and record sales of the STP past, seem to far outweigh the Progressive Hard Rock brilliance that illuminates from Army Of Anyone. It is a shame. This is a perfect example of how credible and incredible Hard Rock music can get swept under the popularity carpet, due to decisions made that are beyond the fans control. Musicians and astute fans of any music genre know this: great music cannot be judged on record sales, mainstream radio popularity or tickets sold. Nope. Army Of Anyone just needed a massive marketing machine behind them, as well as no STP reunion, then, just maybe, this band could have skyrocketed into the popularity mix. 

Not to ignore the songs from the debut “Army Of Anyone” album, to summarize the lyrics: intelligent, socially conscious, awareness to world politics without becoming abrasive, add into the mix the human experience. Musically, as mentioned earlier, Hard Rock with a progressive edge, yet not as an afterthought. My favorite song on this album: “This Wasn’t Supposed To Happen” – this is hands down, one of the single greatest endings to a Hard Rock album that I have ever heard. It is a mellow tune, yes, a ballad – no. The acoustic arrangement of this song swelters with emotion that I never expected upon my very first listen. Unbelievable, pure music.

I just hope, that Army Of Anyone would consider getting back together, every few years or so and create a new album. They do not have to do a major world tour for recognition and I understand if STP and Filter are of higher importance. What Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Richard Patrick must understand is that Army Of Anyone is much more enormous than they may realize, a true and real Hard Rock music creation. It is just like the quote from the fantasy baseball movie “Field Of Dreams” – “build it and they will come”… well, the members of Army Of Anyone have built it, if they could only continue, more fans would come. Probably more than they could ever imagine. 

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