Guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz of Stone Temple Pilots recently spoke with Jonathan Clarke at Q104.3, confirming earlier reports that their new record will be released later this year. The album will come two years after their debut EP High Rise with new vocalist Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, their single “Out of Time” charting No. 1 in 2013.
Despite Bennington’s recent ankle injury requiring surgery, Kretz says his voice is in great shape and is determined to fully recover; “[Chester] still has to sit down when he’s singing. We’re in the studio right now putting vocals on four new songs this week. So he’s sitting down doing it.”
In regards to the new album’s progress, Kretz adds, “We’re very close [to finishing up four new songs], yeah. We’re getting into the guitar solo territory next week. We’re just finishing up the vocals on some of the stuff, and, man, it’s real exciting ’cause this stuff is sounding huge.”
Stone Temple Pilots have announced a spring tour for April, their first new shows since 2013 after all touring and recording was set on hold for Bennington to work on Linkin Park’s sixth studio album The Hunting Party, released last June. With the ankle injury resulting in a sudden break in Linkin Park’s extensive touring, Stone Temple Pilots are ready to take the stage again. New material on tour has not been mentioned.
Direct support for their upcoming tour has been found in an unsigned band Dreamers from Alternative Press’ “100 Bands You Need To Know Of” last year – “We’ve been fans of Stone Temple Pilots forever so for them to have us on tour with them is a Dreamer’s dream,” member Nick Wold tells AP.
“The fact that they chose an unsigned band to share the stage with them on their entire tour is cosmic and we are so grateful for the opportunity… to start the tour at Paramount Theater in our hometown of Seattle is just… [speechless].”
All dates and ticket purchases can be found HERE.
