Time for a brief rundown of what’s hitting your shelves (real and virtual) soon…
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots has announced a March 16 release date for its highly anticipated new self-titled album, Stone Temple Pilots. This marks the band’s first album with the new lead singer, Jeff Gutt.
Despite being one of the best-selling bands of the 1990s with platinum records and a Grammy to its credit, guitarist Dean DeLeo says, “We are thrilled about what lies ahead. The best way for us to honor our past is to keep making new music.”
The band does just that on Stone Temple Pilots. The first single “Meadow” and Never Enough” channels the gritty guitars and swaggering rhythms that STP perfected on Core (1992), Purple (1994), and No. 4 (1999). “Roll Me Under” glides along a nimble bass line before slamming into the chorus, where Gutt’s baritone digs in.
Pre-order the album today. Exclusive bundles are also available on the website, including vinyl, t-shirt, and a limited edition, hand signed lithographs by the band. The album will also be released on vinyl on May 25.
When asked what to expect on the tour, Robert DeLeo says:
With so much time and experience gone by in life we feel compelled to dig back into a 30-year catalogue and really try to reflect and choose what songs haven’t been performed live. We want to give people who have come to see us in the past a chance to hear something they haven’t heard before at previous STP shows. We want to celebrate this time in our lives with our performances.
Stone Temple Pilots track list:
- Middle Of Nowhere
- Guilty
- Meadow
- Just A Little Lie
- Six Eight
- Thought She’d Be Mine
- Roll Me Under
- Never Enough
- The Art Of Letting Go
- Finest Hour
- Good Shoes
- Reds & Blues
Otep
Groundbreaking art-rock performer, author and spoken word artist Otep is thrilled to divulge new, behind-the-scenes information about her , currently untitled, full-length album. The album – her eighth overall and second with Napalm Records – is scheduled to hit stores later this year. Otep and her band are currently recording at The Lair in Los Angeles, completely utilizing the same equipment used on their first album, Sevas Tra (down to her original vocal microphone, a Shure Beta 58), in order to create a sound reminiscent of their roots. The Lair is also where Otep recorded Smash The Control Machine, the band’s fourth release.
Otep says this eighth album is undoubtedly the band’s most authentic and honest:
I’m co-producing this album with my guitarist Aristotle, which has allowed us to create without limitations. The musicality is stellar and has been elevated to a whole new stratosphere of sound. With Aristotle on guitar, Justin Kier on drums and Drew Barnes on bass, each musician has a powerful voice on this album.
As for her lyrics, Otep says:
No one is safe, no one escapes. It’s powerful, poetic, patriotic protest music. One could say it’s an activist album hoping to incite social change and those who are at the barricades, who are marching in the streets for justice, who are demanding our government protect our great nation from enemies foreign and domestic – this includes the bloated colostomy bag disgracing the White House, Traitor Trump, and his loafer licking cronies… but I digress.
Elessar UK
South-West emo alt-rockers Elessar return to the fold and release their new EP, Is This All We Are, on Friday 27th April. Before then, the Brit Tunesmiths release a new track, “In All Honesty”, which can be streamed below.
The forthcoming sophomore EP, Is This All We Are, truly raises the bar compared to their earlier releases. Produced by Matt O’Grady (You Me At Six, Deaf Havana, Don Broco), the EP promises to elevate the band to new heights. Ricky Powell (vocals and guitar) remarks about the EP:
Is This All We Are is definitely our most personal work to date. We wanted to focus on a record that went deeper emotionally than we have ever gone before, something that people can relate to. I tried to focus the writing around dealing with love and loss a lot more and getting over anxiety and trust issues that thousands of people face every day.
With five slabs of engulfing emo alt-rock, the EP unites hooky choruses with expansive and inventive guitar lines, framed by muscular rhythm work that will blow the roof off. From their opener and past single “Half Love“, to their new single “In All Honesty”, and future single “Saudade”, the EP genuinely shows Elessar’s unique sound and undeniable ability.
Random Eyes
Finnish metallers Random Eyes have released their new studio album, Grieve No More, via Rock’N’Growl Records. A full album stream is available below.
The album includes 10 tracks and was produced by Christian Palin (Panorama, ex-Adagio) and mixed/mastered by Angelo Buccolieri. The cover artwork was made by Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art (Soil, Flotsam & Jetsam, Fury, Kissin’ Dynamite, Bloodstock Festival).
