QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Era Vulgaris
Interscope Records

[Review by Manic_Rage and Dizzy_Alien]

Queens of the Stone Age. Pioneers of desert/robot rock. Post-Kyuss stoner heavyweights and influential beyond their years. Headed by Josh Homme and other vagabonds, now five albums in, we have Era Vulgaris.

I bought this album straight up.

I bought it without hearing a thing. I bought it because I like Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) “¦ now read on.

Now remember, take yourself back. The self-titled debut set the tone and pace of the future of QOTSA and what would have happened after Kyuss. Everybody loved Kyuss, and those who didn’t/don’t “¦ well frankly you are missing out. The debut defined what we now call desert rock.

Next we had Rated R. This particular album had classics such as “Feel Good Hit of the Summer” and “The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret.” It was the latter song I heard years after it was out that started me on the path to search out QOTSA and onto stoner rock and thankfully Kyuss. This album set the benchmark that was to become a standard of what people expected of the band.

This led to their next album Songs for the Deaf. This along with Rated R is a classic. The tracks such as the spunk-funk of “No One Knows” on Songs”¦ again further enforced the fact that QOTSA were a band to reckon with. This is what really put QOTSA on the map, as well as collaborating with artists as Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan.

After undisclosed reasons and constant rumor, the true fact why Nick Oliveri left was not released, but with the proceeding album Lullabies to Paralyze in his absence, you could tell he wasn’t there. The album itself was another fine example of what QOTSA were capable of, but with no Nick, it tended to become perhaps too morose or melancholy.

This leaves us with Era Vulgaris. With another line-up change and renewed vigor from the somewhat critical backlash of Lullabies we are presented with a new album that you would think would be something new.

Now for my critique”¦

Admittedly the album turns out to be like banging your head against a wall, inside a mental home, strapped to a table. Now think of that impossibility “¦ the album bites, it grates, like an erratic piranha annoying the fuck out of you.

After a few painstaking listens, the album as a whole was too repetitive, at least with Songs”¦ and Lullabies”¦ you had an interesting theme, but with this? There is no fun.

Josh Homme‘s life seems rosy at the moment. Wife, child, band, and undoubtedly piles of cash, so why was this album so droning/depressive/stuck in a rut? I feel that this album was created for the sake of making an album, to kill time, there just appears to be no energy present, lacking soul and direction.

It honestly feels like you are being poked in the eye, smushing around your brain with a hooked finger, whilst the aliens from Mars Attacks rant at you consistently.

Mark Lanegan and Julian Casablancas are meant to be featured on this album. I can’t find them anywhere.

Necessary pointers for purchasing this album:

“¢ Buy it as a hardcore QOTSA fan, not as a new listener.
“¢ A change from Desert Rock to Robot Rock (emphasis on robot).
“¢ It’s not as replayable as Songs for the Deaf.
“¢ It has no spirit or sense of fun.

And so to conclude, Josh Homme and this album are like the Wizard of Oz‘ bumbling Tin Man; all effort and no heart which means that something is missing in there somewhere. I think it must be Nick Oliveri and his balls.

Stagnant.