Queens Of The Stone Age

It’d be a waste of time to do an introductory paragraph for Queens of the Stone Age, as has become typical of most of my reviews – I think almost everybody has at least heard of Queens. If you haven’t, their fifth album isn’t the place you should be starting your search anyway.

As they do time and time again, Queens have crafted an album akin to Lullabies to Paralyze and Songs for the Deaf – records that are distinctly Queens – yet is so contrastingly unique from the others. If anything, the band’s main charm that has lead to their mainstream success is their ability to continue creating distinctive, and ultimately refreshing, albums that all contain their trademark southern swagger and over-driven rock melodies, constantly pushing the envelope. Era Vulgaris fits in so nicely with their catalogue that it’s hard to determine which is their ‘best yet’.

The first single would be a good place to start, and so that, kids, is where I’ll begin. “Sick, Sick, Sick,” is an upbeat, bouncy little number with dark, grungy overtones. The track works well as a single because of its cohesive structure and subtle, yet effective, dynamics that allow the chorus to shine without robbing the track of its flow. Opener “Turnin’ On the Screw” is a more easy-going track that features Queens’ trademark stoner-rock fuzzy guitar leads to overlap Josh Homme’s haunting vocal stylings.

Of course, the band is great when they stick to their sonic guns; however, the more exploratory tracks on the record are equally as great – and equally as Queens-ish – which ultimately propels this record to greatness. “I’m Designer” uses clever lyricism and vocal delivery to create a fresh and memorable take on a track that still contains the standard Queens elements. Hand claps and a chorus that could’ve been robbed from the Stone Temple Pilots’ Tiny Music… round out the song, which is only one example of how the band can draw from nearly any influence and still craft a track so unmistakably theirs. I will say the dirtier, more distorted rock tracks fare better than slower tracks like “Suture Up Your Future,” but the variety Queens offer saves the album from becoming at all familiar.

A truly commendable record that has come to be expected from this band, Era Vulgaris is a top-shelf release that surely won’t alienate any fans. It will only act as a further testament to why this band remains one of the few credible artists with so much financial success. This record almost shouldn’t be this good considering how many times Queens of the Stone Age have released critically hyped collections that deliver on a number of levels, but it is. From start to finish, this record doesn’t get tiring or overbearing. It remains consistently engaging by doing what I’ve already praised the band for: offering variety while remaining true to their sound.

I’ve always respected this band, but after my time with this album I can comfortably say I’m now a fan.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Turnin’ On the Screw
02. Sick, Sick, Sick
03. I’m Designer
04. Into the Hallow
05. Misfit Love
06. Battery Acid
07. Make it Wit Chu
08. 3’s & 7’s
09. Suture Up Your Future
10. River in the Road
11. Run, Pig, Run

Run Time: 47:24