There are some huge shoes to fill in the lead vocalist department as far as Stone Temple Pilots go. But following the tragic deaths of original frontman Scott Weiland and his replacement, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, the group is now ready to start a new chapter. And former "The X Factor" competitor Jeff Gutt has been named to lead it.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9wln-KgIeA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The new quartet — rounded out by original members Robert DeLeo (bass), Dean DeLeo (guitar) and Eric Kretz (drums) — has dropped their first single, the driving rocker "Meadow" that echoes elements of classic STP.
The Gutt-fronted STP made their debut live appearance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Nov. 14, with a set list featuring "Meadow" and hits such as “Interstate Love Song," "Plush," "Vasoline," and “Down,” as well of a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."
"You know, this is STP, man. So we would not settle," Dean DeLeo told Rolling Stone about selecting Gutt. "He was one of the last guys we saw, in the last two days of auditions. And that was just over a year ago — September of 2016.
"Mr. Weiland paved quite a way. Because not just anybody can sing this catalog. You need someone who really knows how to sing. And Jeff kind of has it all, man. He has that baritone, and he's also able to get into that tenor world. He's a real singer."
