I think the coolest thing about
QotSA is their band dynamic. Most
bands seem more like an entity then individual people. Some people play instruments, or write
songs, or sing and you put that together and that’s the band. The way Josh Homme approaches it seems
to focus much more on the individual.
As the main songwriter and only permanent member of QotSA it’s easy to
think he kind of runs the show, and everyone else just follows. However, Homme seems to make a point of
surrounding himself with some very talented musicians. This is certainly an advantage because
good musicians means good music, but having such strong talent in the studio also
means they are less like employees and more like coworkers. Their opinions and problems can put a
lot of strain on the band, but you can’t argue with results.
A new Queens of the Stone Age album
is something I didn’t realize that I was missing until I heard it was coming
out. It’s been six years since
their last release, and yet it seems like just the right amount of time has
pasted. They have such a fantastic
no holds barred approach to songwriting.
They are hard rock, but saying that is like calling water blue: sure
that’s the case, but you’re also missing a ton of other elements that make
water, water. My favorite effort
by these guys has to be Songs for the
Deaf. Along with some stand
out tracks it is a great concept album that anyone who had to drive
cross-country with nothing but a radio can relate to. Everything else I’ve heard by them is very good as well, and
I think it has to do with what I mentioned at the begging of this article.
Homme is a great musician, but also
seems like a good manager. He can
look at what’s working and what isn’t and try to fix it. He scrapped long time drummer Joey
Castillo (a decision that weighed heavy on a lot of the band who consider him a
good friend,) and brought in Dave Grohl (who drummed on Songs…). He also
brought in many other artists to add backing vocals including former bassist
Nick Oliveri, Trent Reznor (of NIN), Mark Lanegan, and Sir Elton John. To suggest it’s just Homme who makes
these guys as good as they are would be selling a ton of people short. It’s great to have a good manager, but
it doesn’t mean much if you don’t have good players. All of the performers on this album add their own layer to
this fairly dense collection of songs.
I think the best way to describe
the QotSA’s sound is like walking into the desert. There’s a sunny but very sinister feeling to this sound,
like the heat is starting to get to you.
The opening riff of “Keep Your Eyes Pealed” shoots you right back into
that unmistakable wasteland. For
old fans of these guys you’ll be treated to some fantastic guitar driven tracks
like “I Sat by the Ocean” and the first single “My God is the Sun.” There are a few piano ballads in here
as well, which isn’t exactly what these guys are known for, but these guys pull
them off rather well.
This album really feels like the
band is coming full circle. They
went back and picked up the pieces of their last 13 years, kept what they
wanted, added in what was missing, and made the record they were supposed to
make. As a fan of this band it is
a great treat to listen to, and it suggests that we’re going to be hearing a
lot of great stuff from Homme and company in the not to distant future.
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