IN REVIEW: Queens of the Stone Age - "Songs for the Deaf"

Reminds Me Of:
Other Queens releases to date, except cranked to 11 and spawned in the same greasy fryer as old-school Motorhead, Priest, etc.

High On:
* The Queens' transition from pure stoner rock to loud, obnoxious, skilled riffage and deadly rhythm section
* Dave Grohl... he absolutely pounds the hell out of the drums, giving the album even more of an arena sound
* Josh Homme's songwriting: less repetative, more insightful
* The pure diversity of the album, from metalized punk ("Millionaire") to bouncy thrash rawk ("No One Knows") to ambitious grunge ("Sky Is Fallin") to playful, obscenity-laced garage metal ("Six Shooter") to Chili Peppers meet The Doors on crack ("Hangin Tree") to tripped-out blues ("God Is In The Radio") to 60's romance shlock ("Another Love Song")... you get the idea, I'm sure.
* The album's concept: A journey through a number of radio stations during a drive from Los Angeles to the desert, featuring a variety of formats and wide array of on-air talent (strangely enough, every station seems to be playing QOTSA).
* The wink-and-grin inclusion of a sort of reprise to "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" (from 2000's 'Rated R'), with laughter replacing lyrics.
* The quiet calm of "Mosquito Song", a thoughtful accordion-laced ballad that probably wouldn't have been a hidden track on anyone else's album.

Low On:
* I seriously can't think of anything, besides the rather hideously plain album cover.

The Bottom Line:
QOTSA have officially arrived with 'Songs For The Deaf', and whether you're baked out of your mind on every drug you can find, or sober as a judge on a Monday morning, you cannot and will not ignore them.

9 EXCELLENT
August 27, 2002 • Interscope