The nine-year wait for new Stone Temple Pilots music ended Tuesday night in New York City.

During a listening party at the Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar — where Guns N’ Roses rocked out one week earlier — the San Diego-bred quartet debuted their yet-to-be-titled reunion album, their first since 2001’s Shangri-La Dee Da.

Singer Scott Weiland, bassist Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo, and drummer Eric Kretz all attended the event, mingling with industry types like Warner Music CEO (and former Run-DMC tour manager) Lyor Cohen, as waiters handed out free drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

Atlantic Records Chairman and CEO Craig Kallman, who signed the band in the early ’90s, delivered a speech before playing the album. He recalled hearing demos of Might Joe Young (STP’s first name) and flying to L.A. to watch the band perform. He praised the quartet’s talent, workmanship, and influence, and even compared them to Led Zeppelin. He then rattled off a list of stats — more than 35 million records sold, 15 top ten singles, a No. 1 record with 1994’s Purple, a Grammy, and more. And when he pushed play, it was obvious why.

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