Review Summary: Solid enough for the first recorded material by this lineup of STP, but not stellar either...
Stone Temple Pilots are one of those bands who often get lumped in with the "grunge" scene. Yes, I know they can ostensibly be considered "grunge", but I've never really considered them as a true grunge band. I believe the grunge scene mostly begins and ends with Seattle, but the other reason I don't consider STP as a straight grunge band is because they've always been more classically rock rooted than the Seattle groups. The classic rock thread has run through most of their work with vocalist Scott Weiland, and it continues to run through High Rise, the first recorded material by the "new" Stone Temple Pilots that features Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington. Weiland of course was fired by the DeLeo brothers after 20 odd years of bull*** (allegedly) on Weiland's part.
Bennington is a solid vocalist, but I'm not at all sure why STP picked him to be their vocalist going forward. For a band deeply rooted in classic rock n' roll, a vocalist from an alternative style of music doesn't always fit, and this is the case here. Lead-off track and first single "Out Of Time" is a powershot of a grunge-rock song with a slashing riff, but it is obvious that Bennington is forcing the chorus a little bit. "Black Heart" and "Cry Cry" are southern rock tracks that surprisingly suit Bennington well, as the instruments do most of the heavy lifting. "Same On The Inside" is a classic STP-sounding track that doesn't go for the kill instrumentally, allowing Chester to carry the track. "Tomorrow" is a virtual re-write of "Vaseline".
Musically, the DeLeo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz are hit and miss on High Rise. "Black Heart" is basically a heavier version of "Cry Cry", but "Out Of Time" is a solid track driven by Rob's bass riff. "Same On The Inside" is psychedelic in nature and is the best song here. The less said about "Tomorrow" the better, as it is too similar to "Vaseline" for my tastes. At times on High Rise, it feels like these songs are just old demos that were pulled from the vaults and handed to Bennington to add his vocals upon them.
After the way things ended with Scott Weiland, it is obvious that Stone Temple Pilots would want a singer who is relatively "drama-free." They got that in Chester Bennington, but in the process they may have picked the wrong singer for their band. Chester is a fantastic vocalist when the music fits his style, but on High Rise he is mostly singing over music that doesn't suit him. Musically, the DeLeo brothers and Eric Kretz seem to have mailed it in somewhat here, and it is apparent by the album's book-end tracks. "Out of Time" opens High Rise on a burst of energy that feels like a re-invigorated Stone Temple Pilots wrote it, but the EP ends with "Tomorrow", a song that rips off one of their classic tracks "Vaseline." If STP's instrument-playing members improve their songwriting and find a style that they feel comfortable playing, but also suits the vocal approach of their new vocalist Chester Bennington, they still have a good album or two in them, but on High Rise, it mostly feels like the elevator is stuck on the first floor.
