Stone Temple Pilots

Formed in San Diego, California, around 1990, Stone Temple Pilots were built around singer Scott Weiland, brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo on guitar and bass, and drummer Eric Kretz, amid the rise of American alternative rock. Initially associated with the grunge wave, the band broke through with Core (1992), featuring heavy guitars and melodic vocal lines, then broadened their sound on Purple (1994) and Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996), incorporating glam and psychedelic influences and a stronger pop sensibility in the arrangements. They followed with No. 4 (1999) and Shangri‑La Dee Da (2001) before a first hiatus, during which the members pursued various side projects. Stone Temple Pilots reunited in 2008 and released a self‑titled album in 2010, then went through another vocal transition with Chester Bennington, who was replaced in 2017 by Jeff Gutt, heard on the 2018 Stone Temple Pilots album and on Perdida (2020). Still centered on guitar‑driven rock that mixes hard riffs, dark ballads and more acoustic passages, the band remains a regular presence on American and international stages.