Stone Temple Pilots (sometimes informally referred to as The Butterfly Album) is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, released on March 16, 2018, through Rhino. It is the band's first with lead singer Jeff Gutt, who joined the band in 2017, and the second self-titled studio album released by the band, following their 2010 album.
The album is the band's first release since the deaths of original vocalist Scott Weiland and second vocalist Chester Bennington, both of whom are remembered in the liner notes.
The first single from the album, "Meadow", was released on November 15, 2017. A second single, "Roll Me Under", was released on January 31, 2018, to announce the album's release and the band's 2018 tour. A third single from the album, "The Art of Letting Go", was released on February 22, 2018, and a fourth single, "Never Enough", was released on March 8, 2018.
Contents
Critical reception
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Stone Temple Pilots received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 from eight critic scores.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave a favorable review of the album, stating that it "shows they haven't lost their knack for hooky-heavy hard rock" and "certainly opens the door on another act in their career."
In a more mixed review, Chris Connaton of PopMatters praised new lead singer Gutt while criticizing the album as derivative and unadventurous, writing that "Gutt belts it out, rasps, and croons like Weiland before him" despite the band "not [being] interested in taking chances on this record."
Personnel
Stone Temple Pilots
Jeff Gutt – lead vocals, backing vocals
Dean DeLeo – guitar, production
Robert DeLeo – bass, backing vocals, production
Eric Kretz – drums, percussion
Production and design
Stone Temple Pilots – production
Ryan Williams – recording, engineering
Russ Fowler – engineering on "Thought She'd Be Mine"
Ken Andrews – mixing
Dave Cooley – mastering
Hans Bruechle – cover art
Michelle Shiers – photography