RIP Scott Weiland
Blabbermouth and The Pulse Of Radio reporting Stone Temple Pilots paid tribute to their former singer Scott Weiland on Saturday (Dec 3rd), the first anniversary of his death. The three surviving members of the group wrote in a Facebook post:
“Here we are. A year has passed since you’ve been gone. We often think of you and are reminded of you daily with many memories. Then there is the music the four of us carved out allowing us to listen and feel how brilliant you are. There was a time when we looked up to one another. Each of us wanting one another’s approval.
“The songs we wrote had to have complete impact on us in order for them to shine. When it did… it was unearthly. Perhaps you are in a place now to better describe it. We miss you, Scott.”
Weiland was found dead on his tour bus on the evening of Dec 3rd, 2015, while on the road with his solo act The Wildabouts. The 48-year-old singer died from an overdose of drugs and alcohol, leaving behind his wife and two children from a previous marriage. STP dismissed Weiland in 2013, five years after the band reunited in 2008. The band later sued the singer, citing his erratic behavior, poor performances and prioritizing of his solo career as reasons for letting him go. Weiland countersued the group, although the dispute between the band and singer was eventually settled.
Guitarist Dean DeLeo said earlier this year in an interview with Celebration Rock, “I spent half my life just full of false hope, with every intention to try to help him, and try to get him together. It led to what we’re talking about right now, the guy died. No matter how you look at it or how you slice it, it’s just so tragic that that is where he went.”
Scott’s widow, Jamie Weiland, said last May on the Joe Howard Show that Weiland had been doing better before his death: “He had finally gotten to a place where he was trying to be, relatively healthy. He just wanted to create, we were very much in love. Of course there were always issues with Scott, that’s not a secret, and I’m not going to pretend that those things didn’t exist, but for the most part he really was making great strides.”
Several days after his death, Weiland’s second wife and the mother of his children, Mary Forsberg Weiland, wrote in an open letter at RollingStone.com, “The outpouring of condolences and prayers offered to our children, Noah and Lucy, has been overwhelming, appreciated and even comforting. But the truth is, like so many other kids, they lost their father years ago. What they truly lost on Dec 3rd was hope.”
Stone Temple Pilots joined forces with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington in 2013 for an EP and several tours, but Bennington exited last year. The band has yet to announce a new vocalist.
Meanwhile, Kings Of Chaos, featuring past and present members of Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot, Stone Temple Pilots and Linkin Park, performed at the House of Blues in Las Vegas over the weekend, with Saturday night’s (Dec 3rd) show serving as a tribute to former STP and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland on the one-year anniversary of his death. Among the songs performed were “Slither,” “Vasoline,” “Sex Type Thing” and “Interstate Love Song.” Two of Weiland’s former bandmates, drummer Matt Sorum and bassist Robert DeLeo, were in the Kings Of Chaos lineup. (Alternative Nation)
Avenged Sevenfold is reportedly attempting to stop its former label Warner Music from selling a two-CD Avenged Sevenfold collection called The Best Of 2005-2013. According to TMZ, the band sent a letter to Warner’s Chief Financial Officer, claiming the company prepared the album without notifying them, letting them select the songs or prepare the artwork — which the band says constitutes a clear violation of their recording agreement.
Warner Music announced an Avenged greatest-hits package just days before the surprise unveiling of the band’s new album, The Stage. The label released the collection on Friday (Dec 2nd), scheduling it for that date after initial rumors hinted at a Dec 9th arrival for the group’s Capitol Records debut. Now Avenged is asking Warner Music to pull the set from shelves and online outlets.
M. Shadows told radio station WJRR last month about the hits package, “From what we understand, they are trying to undercut our new record, so they were trying to put it out the week before . . . this is childish on a whole new level.”
Warner Music sued Avenged Sevenfold earlier this year for breach of contract after the band left the label. The Stage debuted at Number Four on the Billboard 200 album chart last month. The surprise release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an Avenged Sevenfold album in 11 years.
The group made the album available at midnight on Oct 27th with almost no promotion beforehand, save for the arrival of a new song one week earlier. The quintet unveiled the album with a live-streamed performance from the rooftop of Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA.
Read the full story at TMZ
M. Shadows revealed on the That’s Not Metal podcast that the band has recorded six cover songs and some more original material during the sessions for The Stage that will be released gradually over time. Guitarist Zacky Vengeance said about the cover songs, “They’re definitely not obvious bands, we wanted to do out take on songs that you wouldn’t expect to hear from us.” (The PRP)
Bring Me The Horizon released Live At Royal Albert Hall, the CD/DVD of its concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, on Friday (Dec 2nd). The event was held on Apr 22nd and was part of a series of shows to benefit the Teenage Cancer Trust. Bring Me The Horizon performed with a full orchestra and choir behind them, and has posted a clip of “Happy Song” from the DVD online. (Alternative Press)
Marilyn Manson has landed his biggest screen role to date in a new movie called Let Me Make You A Martyr. Manson stars as a hardened, contemplative hit man hired by a father to kill his son, only for Manson’s character to team up with the son to take down the father. The film will be released across all digital and home media platforms in early 2017. (Billboard)
Celebrating life today, Little Richard is 84, comedian Margaret Cho is 48, Goo Goo Dolls Johnny Rzeznik is 51 and yours truly signed up for Medicare. Oh and Walt Disney would’ve been 115 today.