Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots, often abbreviated as STP, are an American rock group from San Diego, United States. They form in 1990 and remain active. The current line-up includes Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz, with Jeff Gutt on vocals. Former vocalists include Scott Weiland and Chester Bennington.

History

The band begins under the name Swing before changing to Mighty Joe Young and then adopting the name Stone Temple Pilots after signing to Atlantic Records. The original line-up consists of Scott Weiland, Eric Kretz and brothers Dean DeLeo and Robert DeLeo. That line-up stays in place until Weiland is dismissed in 2013. Bennington joins later in 2013 and leaves in 2015. After an online search for a new singer, Jeff Gutt is announced as the band’s vocalist in 2017.

Albums and releases

Their debut album, Core (1992), becomes a major commercial success. They follow it with Purple (1994), Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996), No. 4 (1999) and Shangri-La Dee Da (2001). The band then separates in 2003 before reuniting for a tour in 2008. They release Stone Temple Pilots in 2010, the EP High Rise in 2013 with Bennington, a second self-titled album in 2018 with Gutt, and Perdida in 2020.

Style and legacy

Stone Temple Pilots first gain prominence through the grunge movement of the early 1990s, and their music also spans acoustic rock, alternative metal, alternative rock, hard rock and neo-psychedelia. Later work also explores psychedelic rock, bossa nova and classic rock. During their hiatus, members work in other projects including Velvet Revolver and Army of Anyone. The band is regarded as one of the most successful rock acts of the 1990s, with sales of more than 18 million albums in the United States and 40 million worldwide during that decade.