Either way, its crazy to think new material from STP is actually on the horizon.
Who would have ever thought when the self titled was released, it would be more than 7 years until their next record, and Scott would be dead? Wasn't on my radar in 2010.
It is crazy. I am excited for the sheer prospect of new material from STP. I'm genuinely optimistic that the new singer will be a good fit, but my expectations are heavily tempered.
My personal ranking of STP's releases goes something like this:
1. Purple
2. Core
3. SLDD
4. Tiny Music
5. No. 4
6. High Rise
7. S/T
I'm expecting this new material to be somewhere between #5 - #7. I don't think it will be any better than the original five albums with Scott, but I do think it will be at least as good as S/T, probably better -- simply because what I perceive as bringing that album down was Scott's lack of passion for the project. (Not that it was a "bad" album by any stretch -- just not up to STP's standards imo.)
Whether it will be better than High Rise is the question for me. I loved Chester's talent, personality, work ethic, and genuine love for the band, but while the five songs were well-crafted, I didn't feel like they were the same STP. It truly felt like Stone Temple Pilots... featuring Chester Bennington. That's not Chester's fault. He did an exceptionally admirable job during his stint in STP, and I probably would have been happy were he still with us and still in the band. But something was still missing. Maybe it was the fuller baritone range or just the dysfunction I had become so accustomed to.
They are obviously going all-in this time with their new singer, so we will have to see how well the new guy fits -- how well his vocals mesh with the band, how good his vocal-writing chops are, how the chemistry is on stage, etc.
I'm excited, but I'm guarded. I don't want to get my hopes up too much this time. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised that the guy they picked is really a great fit and the new music is really special.
