Review Summary: Queens of the Stone Age let loose and create a fun, energetic record full of surprises.
Queens of the Stone Age are a band formed in Palm Desert, California in 1996. The band has had a bit of a rotating lineup through the years, with Joshua Homme being the creative driving force behind the project. Their style is riff-oriented, guitar-driven rock and is often referred to as Desert or Stoner Rock. I have been an on and off fan of the band with albums like “Songs of the Deaf” and “Rated R,” really capturing my imagination as a kid. However, not so much with “Lullabies to Paralyze” and “Era Vulgaris.” Their most recent project, “...Like Clockwork” however, was highly enjoyable and is easily a favorite from the band. It was one of the best albums of 2013 and so anticipation has been high to see what the band was going to release next.
“Villains” is the band's seventh studio album and the first in which the band has not featured any guest musicians on it, though it was produced by Mark Ronson That’s evident right from the start, as everything on this album feels much looser. It feels like a singular band just letting go and jamming, rather than the admittedly stiff feeling of some of their previous work. The riffs are catchy and fun as hell and even Josh’s vocals sound like he’s having a hell of a time. “Domesticated Animals” takes a riff that would normally feel very rigid and makes it come alive. Every member of the band dances around it in different ways, from the little licks that the lead guitar adds, to the hand claps, to the contrast of the loose bass riff to the tight guitar riff. This all really makes it come alive, rather than feeling dead on arrival like it easily could have. That trademark guttural growl of a guitar sound is still ever present as well, and sounds as good as ever all over this record.
The songwriting doesn’t really take a hit with this looser feel either. You get absolute romps like “The Way You Used To Do,” “Feet Don’t Fail Me” and “The Evil Has Landed” as well as beautiful tracks like “Fortress” and “Villains of Circumstance.” The intro to “Fortress” starts with what is suspected to be guitar feedback and then a guitar line comes in, followed by some synths. They just build with some bass coming in and then Josh’s vocals starting the first verse. This song continues to build and build throughout, staying interesting throughout it’s 5 and a half minute run-time. You see that over and over on this record, with the band being able to easily hold a listener's attention for 5+ minutes with their catchy guitar riffs and great songwriting. Many of the songs don’t even feel half as long as their run-times actually are. The one lapse in songwriting here is the track “Head Like A Haunted House.” The band was going for, a short, fast paced track to break things up in the middle of the record. However, with all of the drawn out songs that really take their time to develop surrounding it, a simple song like this feels out of place. It’s not a bad track, it just doesn’t fit on this album.
Lyrically, the record isn’t nearly as dark and moody as “...Like Clockwork” was, which is understandable, that was 4 years ago when Josh wrote that record. Some lyrical highlights for me where in these songs. “Feet Don’t Fail Me” is about Josh remembering what drew him to music in the first place. That insatiable feeling you get when you hear a great song that just forces you to move and dance. “Domesticated Animals” talks about a phenomenon known as “groupthink” and it’s basically when a lack of creativity, mass consensus and personal responsibility combine. It often leads to laziness and no drive to create something truly new. Josh wants everyone to know how important it is to be an individual and have your own thoughts and feelings. “Fortress” is a song he wrote for his daughter and sons, and it’s a motivational ballad for them. It talks about how you’re going to get knocked down in life, everyone does, but it’s about how you rise and rebuild yourself that really matters.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable record from Queens of the Stone Age. The mix of killer riffs, terrific songwriting and the lyrics make for an album that is made for repeated listens. It’s also an album that’s rewarding to sit down and listen to all the way through, which sadly doesn’t happen all that often anymore in the streaming age. This album is a ton of fun and the forty-eight minute run-time flies by. A huge recommendation from me if you’re a fan of rock and alternative music, you’ll more than likely enjoy it.
