Stone Temple Pilots trudge on with new album following tragic past

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Stone Temple Pilots moves forward with new frontman, album

Band's self-titled album introduces lead vocalist Jeff Gutt, who replaces Chester Bennington, who committed suicide in July 2017.

The Stone Temple Pilot have been through a lot.

The band saw two of its lead singers die in recent years, and original members Dean DeLeo, his brother Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz have worked to pick up the pieces and keep making the music.

Scott Weiland, who parted ways with the band in 2013, was found dead of an accidental overdose on Dec. 3, 2015. After Weiland left the band, Linkin Park rocker Chester Bennington took on the role of lead singer through 2015. Bennington committed suicide on July 20, 2017.

"It's a strong past that Dean and Eric and I experienced and we carry that with us,” Robert DeLeo told Fox News. “It's simply getting into a room and playing old songs, and it touches you in a way that you remember exactly where you were when you wrote the song. You knew exactly what was happening when you recorded the song and all those things come back and that's the spirit of what we have and to be able to continue that spirit."

He said, at times, he and his fellow longtime STP members get emotional about the band’s tragic past.

"There's a moment that we all have when we sit by ourselves and have a moment,” he revealed. “You know, there's so much happening in life all the time and I think it's just that moment where you get a chance to cry or reflect or write or feel things."

But the band is ready to focus on the music these days rather than dwelling on the past. Jeff Gutt joined the band as lead singer in November 2017 and the Stone Temple Pilots released the song "Roll Me Under” in January. The band released its 2018 album on March 16.

And Gutt knows he has big shoes to fill.

“I'm here out of respect for these guys first and then for Scott and then for Chester and then for myself,” Gutt told Fox News. “So, that's the order for me and it will always be that way no matter what this record does, no matter how good this tour goes, it will always be that way for me. That's how it was the first day I walked into the room and that's how it will be when we get off tour."

DeLeo said working with Gutt has helped inspire the band.

"It's just a matter of moving forward as part of STP. We obviously knew the talent that Jeff has, but I think it was about… applying everything we know and everything he knows together and making a path forge forward."

And Gutt has learned from the iconic band as well.

"… Even though I do know what I'm doing when I first walked in the room the very first day, I learned so much from them… Little things… little suggestions that they would give here or there that came out to be the exact right thing."

Fox News' Liza Aristizabal contributed to this report.