Ahh, Queens Of The Stone Age. One of my favourite bands. Ever since I bought “Songs For The Deaf” I would never quite be the same. So, to say I was stoked about this album and any subsequent touring would be a severe understatement. My expectations for this album were fairly high, but I was realistic. I wasn’t expecting another Songs For The Deaf or even another Rated R, because both those albums were moments in time that have passed. Homme doesn’t quite seem like the crazed drug lunatic he was, but he’s such a good musician he doesn’t need to be.

I think this comes across in this album. This is the sound of a musician maturing and really focusing on the songwriting, over say a riff. There’s been some real thought gone in this album and it just feels like Homme & his band are doing what comes naturally. The album itself is almost indie-like, it’s filled with jangly guitars and catchy choruses. However, it has a dark and bleak underbelly which makes it sound completely unique. For every “rock” moment, there’s some strange breathing, odd keyboards or melancholic pianos which add atmosphere and depth. It has some of the rock swagger of some of QOTSA’s earlier works combined with slower, stranger touches. There’s quite a bit of melancholy on here as well, which really isn’t a bad thing at all.

All in all, Queens Of The Stone Age have created a rock album that sounds different and fresh in 2013, when the genre seems stuck in proverbial dead-end as most of it’s been done before. That to me is to be commended, and however you like your Queens, you should appreciate that they can still produce music that’s a little bit different.

Personal Fave Track: “I Appear Missing”