AR-VI

Artist: Stone Temple Pilots
Album: Stone Temple Pilots
Total Tracks: 12
Release Date: 25 May 2010
Total Length: 00:41:16
Notable Tracks: Between The Lines, Fast As I Can, Maver, Huckleberry Crumble
For Those Who Like: Stone Temple Pilots, Alternative Rock of the 1990s, Army and Navy Stores and high school weight rooms
Overall Rating: 4/5 Pears

Instead of doing a music review I thought it would be more fun to find bootlegged videos of the Scott Weiland and Dean DeLeo fist-fight at the end of STP's 2002 tour in support of "Shangri-La Dee Da." Alas, true to form for most homosapien males, brothers apparently hugged it out and got their act together, literally and figuratively in time for the Pilots' 2010 redebut album.

The renaissance of the band and their latest work is, indeed, true to form.

When most bands take a hiatus there is great speculation about the music's caliber and quality. One is also speculative about the band's image- are they sticking to their own honesty, acting their age, or living in days gone by?

What is always respectable about Stone Temple Pilots is that they have always been themselves, true to form. Weiland and the boys are undeniably rock and roll to the marrow. So much so that even without the sex, drugs, booze distortion and physical violence- and all the media-hype that goes along with it, the group would still be capable of producing a quality record because their previous experience is cultured and ingrained. Sure, violent stage rages may still occur but that is just a part of who they are. But without the 'external influences' their newest work shines clear as day and is unapologetic in its high energy and affronting lyrics.

A renaissance is a renaissance, true to form.

The record starts with great excitement...true to form. Pounding drums of Eric Kretz has fans' eyes lighting up- relief that their band is back and better than ever.

Weiland has never sounded better even though his vocals were charming on the groggy 1999 hit "Sour Girl." The singer affirms that his love was "his favourite drug, even when they used to take drugs." No surprise that Weiland is confirming that his heroin is firmly in his past in the first track. It's album opening "I'm okay" song; true to form.

In an immediate segue from the opener, the second track, "Take a Load Off" convinces the listener that STP is back and ready bury their past deep in its soiled grounds.

Yeah, it's alright
As we mosey on into the night
Yeah, just set us free
Could our shattered past just set us free?

Give you all those diamonds
Give you more and more
Shattered all those lies I bought
You from the record store

Fleets of underground an artist
Look for benediction
Drive around waste gas and haul
In every green addition

Summer med fly ruled the airways
Mostly superstitious
Now the kings of media
Invent the swine flu visions

Take a load off

"Stone Temple Pilots" puts one back into a day when rock and roll was a whirlwind of new drugs, post-grunge and new sounds. For old STP fans, this album was well worth the wait and the band's music and entity reconvenes in a much healthier position. For us casual musical listeners this is a great introductory album, perhaps the best, to be acquainted with their rich rock revelries.

Everybody now is just trying to avoid it
Newsman Tom is trying to exploit it
I know a cure to stop the fear and a little rock'n'roll

True to form.