New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Blaster, the debut album from Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts, is available today.
Blaster was produced by Rick Parker [Black
Rebel Motorcycle Club] and recorded throughout 2014 at Lavish Studios in Burbank and at The Sandbox in Beachwood Canyon. Blaster features twelve tracks, all but "20th Century Boy", a
T-Rex classic, were written by Weiland, the legendary 2x Grammy winning, multi-platinum selling songwriter/vocalist.
An additional recording, "Jean Genie," is available as a single starting today: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-jean-genie-single/id980904794. In a review of the Wildabouts performance of the song at Sundance, Billboard reported, "…a sharp extended rendition of
David Bowie's "Jean Genie" that allowed guitarist Jeremy Brown to play with tones both volcanic and cavernous."
Late yesterday, hours before they were to play a celebratory show in Hollywood, Weiland and the band learned of the passing of 34 year old Wildabouts lead guitarist, Jeremy Brown. Weiland wrote, "It is a terrible loss that goes beyond words. He is one of my best friends, a truest friend and one of the most gifted guitar players that I've ever known. A true genius." This morning, Weiland dedicated the release of Blaster to his friend. "I'd like to dedicate today's release of our album, Blaster, to my friend and collaborator Jeremy Brown. It breaks my heart that you are not here to receive the recognition you so deserve and worked so hard for."
Weiland met Jeremy in 2008, during the recording of Happy in Galoshes, and they have worked together ever since. During many of the interviews Weiland has conducted in the lead up to today's release of Blaster, he credits Brown for coming up with many of the riffs on the new album. In reviews from the Wildabouts recent tour, many reporters singled out Brown for his playing.
MORE ON BLASTER:
"After Blaster concludes," wrote Artist Direct, "one thing is clear, there's literally nobody like Scott after all these years and there never will be."
"Weiland […] is obviously recharged." - The
Boston Globe
"Blaster is poised to be an excellent addition to Weiland's considerable catalog." - The Daily Beast
"The songs from the album Blaster are no-nonsense, straight-ahead rock tunes that owe debts to music of the 1980s and '90s inspired by late '60s garage rock." - Billboard
"A stunning new rock album." - Illinois Entertainer
"The album has its own distinctive sound," says Weiland, "but it also can entice those
Stone Temple Pilots and
Velvet Revolver fans who have stuck by me. Over the years, I've gone back and forth between art records and being in a band. This is a hybrid. What we've come up with is really heavy, slinky, and sexy. There's a lot of fuzz. The best way to describe it is 'Furry'." I knew I wanted to make a rock record," proclaims Weiland. "It all just came together."
Scott Weiland has cumulatively sold over 44 million records worldwide with
Stone Temple Pilots and
Velvet Revolver. He's garnered two Grammy Awards in the category of "Best Hard Rock Performance"—in 2005 for "
Slither" and in 1994 for "Plush". Stone Temple Pilots' Purple debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 a feat also accomplished by
Velvet Revolver's Contraband. Weiland's voice has driven some of the most recognizable hits in rock n' roll history including "Sex Type Thing", "Wicked Garden", "
Creep", "Interstate Love Song", "Vasoline," "The Big Empty," "Sour Girl," "Down," and more. He released his memoir Not Dead & Not for Sale in 2011 to critical applause. Still, his most powerful music is yet to come with the release of Blaster.
