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

Comments

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2016: Solo Artist Nominees

Artists who stand alone, who put their name on their album jackets and assume full responsibility for the art they give to the world, exhibit a kind of bravery that I've always admired. It takes courage to stand on that proverbial stage in solitude; this year's nominees faced varying degrees of challenges, but they all shared the desire to stare down the criticisms and expectations of every other individual they shared the air with and exclaim, "Don't worry. I've got this." Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Solo Artist Recording of the Year are:

Year in Rock 2024

So, how weird is it to post a Year in Rock 2024 write-up a year late? Honestly, this is just for posterity; with a post to wrap up 2025 possibly posted by the time you see this, I couldn't stand the gap that would otherwise be present. I'll have more to say, but will wait until the Year in Rock 2025 post to say it. Instead, I'll just dive right in with the list. This will be the least exciting Year in Rock post you've ever seen. 25. The Smashing Pumpkins - "Aghori Mhori Mei" 24. Japandroids - "Fate & Alcohol" 23. Pearl Jam - "Dark Matter" 22. Cheekface - "It's Sorted" 21. Kim Gordon - "The Collective" 20. High Vis - "Guided Tour" 19. Acid Mammoth - "Supersonic Megafauna Collision" 18. Microwave - "Let's Start Degeneracy" 17. IDLES - "TANGK" 16. Jerry Cantrell - "I Want Blood" 15. Chat Pile - "Cool World" 14. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ...

SOUND BITES

Search This Blog