Avarice and Absolution in Bloomington, MN

Although passed off as merely a "
Pearl Jam
clone" when they first hit the scene,
Stone Temple Pilots
proved to be quite an influence on mainstream
rock
radio circa the early 21st century. Countless subsequent bands have attempted to replicate
Scott Weiland
's part-
David Bowie
, part-
Robin Zander
vocals and
Robert DeLeo
's
Jimmy Page-esque
guitar riffs. One such band is
Revery
. Almost immediately after putting on their debut full-length,
Avarice and Absolution
, you can't help but notice the similarities between
STP
and this Virginia-based quintet. Singer
Jason Martinez
certainly has his
Weiland-isms
down pat, especially on
"Sugar Star,"
in which he utilizes one of his idol's trademarks -- singing through what appears to be a megaphone (or walkie-talkie). In fact,
's song titles even sound like they are straight from
Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
--
"Popstar Wedding,"
etc. That said, if mainstream
(mega-loaded with hooks) is your cup of tea, then
would sound splendid blaring from your car's sound system. And if
ever reunite and need an opening band, here is one that would certainly go over well with their fans. ~ Greg Prato