Scott Stapp Album IV HIGHER POWER

[Devil Inside You]

I thought we could just give this its own thread instead of blowing up that Stapp one per usual haha

New album coming March 2024 with new single 'What I Deserve' released as promotion. Interestingly enough, What I Deserve along with two other tracks feature Yiannis as a listed artist. I assumed he would be playing on the entire album for some reason.

Higher Power is just shy under 40 minutes and is 10 tracks long, being the shortest record in his solo discography and second in his career after The Madness. There will also be a duet with Dorothy on the track If These Walls Could Talk, a first for Stapp's solo career. I'm excited. I do think Higher Power was a better single but What I Deserve has a good chorus too. Check it out below


https://youtu.be/vq7Y0ICM8EQ?si=otCFYvo2i99ds4s6

[Dolo]

That's a bit confusing to be honest, looks like Yiannis contributed a bit more to What I Deserve versus Higher Power.

[Vaux]

I like it, and it's got some good guitar work, too. I like it more than Higher Power.

[Shortman45]

I like it. But August is a long way away for the rest of the album…

[chtimixeur]

First thoughts:
- the solo is technically impressive, and Yannis finally shines on a Stapp song.
- the breakdown riff is basically What if 2.0
- the cadence of the verses sounds off to me. The whole thing is a bit too wordy, and I doubt anyone will be able to sing all those lyrics back to Stapp. I wish it was more to the point.
- Stapp struggles a lot vocally at 1:02 durng the chorus
- I can't stand voiceovers. I hate them in many Megadeth songs, and this song is no exception.
- the drums and guitars are overpowering, which makes the song quite exhausting to listen to.

Overall, this doesn't sound like a radio song to me.

On a side note, I've never heard of Dorothy.
I'm also glad the album is shorter. I hope every song rocks.

[paisleyfan]

Better than Higher Power at least.

[Dolo]

- the breakdown riff is basically What if 2.0

It sounds nothing like it but okay.

[number1]

It was alright. I like it. The song as a whole is okay not super catchy or generic (Here I am kinda disappoint hoping for more anthemic chorus). Vocally it is good but it's not a difficult song to sing. Love the menacing clean guitar solo. Lyrically, it's very Christian theme and it's even more obvious with the voice over. Melodically and musically, it sound very much like how a Christian rock band would sound up to mid point of the song. It evolved into a modern rock technical monster solo in the later half. It's quite daring of Scott to release this as the next solo considering it's not very radio friendly.

[number1]

1. Higher Power
2. Deadman's Trigger
3. When Love Is Not Enough
4. What I Deserve (feat. Yiannis Papadopoulos)
5. If These Walls Could Talk (feat. Dorothy)
6. Black Butterfly
7. Quicksand (feat. Yiannis Papadopoulos)
8. You’re Not Alone
9. Dancing in the Rain (feat. Yiannis Papadopoulos)
10. Weight of the World

I don't really get this feat. artist thingy. Does it mean Yiannis only played 3 songs on the record?

[number1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg2P3MH5WYs

This is the Dorothy that is going to duet with Scott

[Devil Inside You]

What I Deserve actually reminds me a lot of Shinedown to be honest. I just caught the connection but it could totally be one of thier songs.

Dorothy is somewhat of a big deal. I have a friend that was her guitar player for a bit (2017ish) and she seems to have only gotten more popular since then. That Rest in Peace song got pretty decent radioplay

[Devil Inside You]

As for the Yiannis thing, the press release says Stapp felt so proud of his contributions that he wanted Yiannis' name alongside his. So maybe he did play on the record but was only involved creatively with those three. When I met Yiannis in 2019, I asked him if he played on The Space Between the Shadows and he said he did on half the tracks because he lives in Greece. So maybe that's the case again here.

It could also be like the Godsmack thing where Yiannis wrote a bunch of music for Stapp but Stapp only liked those three songs and because he didn't want to feel like Yiannis got a bum deal, he put his name on the record. Its all conjecture until March really

[Finaldecision]

I think it‘s a good song and better than Higher Power. The intro/verse guitar could have been an idea from Mark as well. And Yannis solo contributes a lot to the song.

After the first two listens I don’t quite get the meaning of the lyrics. Which is actually not a bad thing… lol. Lately Stapp’s lyrics have often become too blatant in my opinion, which is not the case here.

[nagpo]

I don't really like either of the songs so far. The lyrics are cheesy and the music is not very original or catchy

[Mr. Slash]

I don't really like either of the songs so far. The lyrics are cheesy and the music is not very original or catchy

Yup. I agree. His 2019-record had a couple of interesting songs on it so I hoped for some good stuff this time as well. Sadly both new songs are really corny.

(And now I'm quite worried about what a new Creed record would sound like. Mark would probably do most of the songwriting which would lead to an album sounding like Alter Bridge/Tremonti with Stapp on the vocals.)

[Devil Inside You]

I wouldn't mind Mark having a bigger role in the lyrical side of Creed again. He's a pretty beautiful poet as evidence by Torn and What's This Life For and many more. Pretty sure My Own Prison was also cowritten lyrically.

I doubt we'll ever get Alter Creed again. Mark learned from Full Circle what works and what doesn't.

[paisleyfan]

I wouldn't mind Mark having a bigger role in the lyrical side of Creed again. He's a pretty beautiful poet as evidence by Torn and What's This Life For and many more. Pretty sure My Own Prison was also cowritten lyrically.

I doubt we'll ever get Alter Creed again. Mark learned from Full Circle what works and what doesn't.

IMO Mark may be the best lyricist between him, Scott, and Myles. Just as far as my personal tastes go.

[chtimixeur]

- the breakdown riff is basically What if 2.0

It sounds nothing like it but okay.

Listen to What If at 4:30.
Then, listen to What I Deserve at 2:23.
It's the same kind of riff, in the sense that Yannis will come forward on stage and bring the heaviness, just like Mark does with What If.
They'll have the same kind of effect on the crowd, and it's basically why I talked about a similarity.

[chtimixeur]

That guy is an AB fan, and he loved the song.
He also talked a bit about Elvis Baskette at the end...

[scarecrow]

lol higher power

sounds like theory of a deadman with sillier lyrics if that's even possible