Hey everyone, new member of the forums here. Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Derek and I am the owner of The Linkin Park Association (
www.lpassociation.com). We've been around since 2002, and have been faithfully covering Linkin Park for about 11 years now.
I figured with Chester now being a part of Stone Temple Pilots, now would be a better time than ever to come on board and say hello.
Like some of you on this board, Stone Temple Pilots were my childhood. Core was actually one of the first rock albums I ever listened to back when it came out, and introduced me to the hard rock/grunge/alternative rock scene that conquered most of the early nineties. I consider some of their earlier albums to be some of the best rock records of the past 30 years and I have nothing but the highest respect for STP and what they've done for music. To me, there is rock and then there is Stone Temple Pilots.
Which is what makes this announcement both bittersweet and incredibly exciting at the same time. Bittersweet because it brings to life a sad reality how far gone Scott really is, but exciting because of the fact that another vocalist I consider to be legendary in his own right is now fronting one of my favorite rock groups of all time.
Sure it will never quite be "STP" without Scott (just like Alice In Chains will never quite be the same without Layne, although Layne passed and Scott did not) but I have been wishing for so long for STP to get back on track that I'm willing to accept this change.
Chester is incredibly versatile. Even as a Linkin Park fan I can state that he doesn't even come close to exploring his true range in LP. Chester can nail classic rock like Bon Scott/Robert Plant (there's videos of this on YouTube) with "Camp Freddy", and then go on to sing hard rock in Linkin Park, or a pitch perfect cover of "Rolling In The Deep" at that same Linkin Park show. Although some people do not like his singing style (he does have a slight 'nasal tone' at times) I can only say that STP made the right choice in selecting Chester to fill the role. He may not quite sound like Scott, but his vocal chops are nothing to shrug at. The guy can sing, and he can sing well.
Like many of you, I had hoped Scott could pull his act together, but the DeLeo's and Kretz cant wait forever for things to happen. They're nearing their 50s and while many bands play well into their 70s (Rolling Stones, anyone?) it's either now or never.
I am approaching this new development in STP history with excitement. Excitement as an STP fan who is eager to see the remaining members of STP finally happy to be making music again and having fun on stage. I'll be there in the front row, cheering them (and Chester) on.
Bring on the future baby!