The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

The Student News Site of Shawnee Mission Northwest

SMNW

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High Rise

Stone Temple Pilots had accepted Chester Benningfield, lead singer of Linkin Park and I was curious to what the album would sound like. Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots are two completely different bands. Whereas Linkin Park is a mix of rock and rapping, Stone Temple Pilots is just rock so I was skeptical at first.

I grew up listening to 90s rock music. Stone Temple Pilots was no exception. When Benningfield joined the band, I was appalled. Stone Temple Pilots and Linkin Park mixing? That sounds flat out bizarre, considering I was raised off the original Stone Temple Pilots and the idea of a new singer bothered me..

High Rise is Stone Temple Pilots’ newest EP album and it only has five songs. It is completely different from the original Stone Temple Pilots from albums like Core (1992) or Purple (1994) that stuck to the simple, heavy electric guitar, growling vocals and apathetic lyrics, much similar to Nirvana, only with very different voices. Scott Weiland, the original lead singer’s voice is much deeper.

Benningfield brought a new, energy filled charisma to the old fashioned 90s rock band and changed it into something great. It’s more upbeat and catchy. His vocals are uplifting in a sense that there’s so much more emotion in his words like in “Black Heart.” “Black heart’s comin’, he’s a cold machine/Cuts like a knife, gentle and clean/Face like an angel, mind of a killer/Nobody else gonna love her better.”

Benningfield brings an edgy tone to a love song, something I feel that Weiland lacked. I was unimpressed with previous albums, which lacked emotion and sounded the same with heavy guitar and emotionless lyrics, like “Dead and Bloated” from Core. Emotionless with repetitive lyrics. High Raise had faster guitar, more emotional vocals and meaningful lyrics.

I feel that High Rise was a lot more upbeat than previous albums and despite being an EP with only five songs, I think that this was the best album by far that Stone Temple Pilots had ever come out with. I feel that Benningfield really improved the old band. He brought changes for the better. I am definitely looking forward to future albums

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High Rise