Music Reviews: Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris (2007)

It's not often that I get excited about new music. Maybe its that I'm getting older and not as hungry as I once was to discover new music, or maybe its that a lot of stuff out there that reaches my ears just isn't very good (sucks ass). I'm thinking its the latter.

One of the few bands of the modern era (last 10 years) that I really like is Queens Of The Stone Age often abbreviated as QOTSA. These guys led by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Josh Homme, rock and often rock hard. Their new album Era Vulgaris is the bands 5th studio album in 9 years. Their lineup is different this time around than in albums past. Most notable is the absence of bassist / occasional singer Nick Oliveri who was fired by Josh Homme in 2004 for beating his wife.

This time around they get some help from Trent Reznor of NIN lends background vocals on the track "Era Vulgaris" which was cut from the album at the last minute. I don't know how much he influenced this album but I can swear there is more keyboards on this album.

The Good

Track 1: "Turnin' On The Screw"
30 seconds into the first song on the new album got me thinking "oh man this album could be ovary smashing good! They did it again!" But my high expectations start to diminish once the vocals begin. Since its hard to maintain that kind of ass kickary for long.

Track 3: "I'm Designer"
Another song that grows on you. Mean and dirty verse with a pretty melodic chorus. This is a common style for the band but is more evident on this album and in particular this song. I'm a fan of that kind of duality in a song. They make it work so its catchy and melodic but badass at the same time. Kind of like a man and a woman becoming one.

Track 4: "Into The Hollow"
This song starts off with a rockin' drum groove then vocals enter followed by lead guitar that is spot on but never overdone. Brilliant song construction. The vocals are very mellow and the chorus is again much prettier than the verses with a good melody. Hooks rule.

Track 6: "Battery Acid"
Damn this song is badass. This is a good song to beat up children to. It reminds one of their early material then comes the seemingly out of place chorus that seems too pretty for this song but fits right in. A short guitar solo follows. This should be a fun song live in concert.

Track 7: "Make It Wit Chu"
This is their R&B piano pounder song. It is more soulful than the other songs and features female background vocals. Its groovy and melodic in an old school way. Kind of like the Rolling Stones. It is radio friendly as well but I doubt it will be a single.

Track 8: "3's and 7's"
Another highlight of this album IMHO, is track 8 "3's and 7's." It starts off with just one guitar (sound similar to Smells Like Teen Spirit) before other instruments are introduced and take it to another place all its own. I love the lead guitar touches on this song. This is a very radio friendly song and I expect it to be a single with a cheesy video as is their trademark.

Track 9: "Suture Up Your Future"
One of the "softer" songs for QOTSA and one of the better songs on the album. Very melodic and ambient in a good way.

Track 10: "River In The Road"
For a band renown for their awesome drum parts this album is not as brilliant as the others drum-wise. It still rocks but is not as interesting. Its much more simplified, except for this song. This is one of their darker songs with not much hook or moment of prettiness. This song lives and dies by the drums.


The Bad

Track 2: "Sick, Sick, Sick"
This song sounds like a bad rip off of Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters' song "All My Life" but nowhere nearly as good. Dave played drums for QOTSA on their best album to date the incredibly awesome Songs For The Deaf.

Track 5: "Misfit Love"
This song is just OK in my book. Its classic QOTSA though, if you like their early stuff. I'm more into the more melodic songs than the attitude songs which this one clearly is. Not that this song doesn't have its moments but it doesn't come around until 4+ minutes into the songs. I'm not crazy about songs that don't really get to the good part (the chorus) until the end.

Track 12: "Run Pig Run"
This is another of those attitude songs I'm not crazy about. It is a dark song that is almost menacing. What do you expect with a name like "Run Pig Run." It's a bit too much for me. Don't get me wrong it has its interesting moments musically. Some lead guitar parts remind me of the Pixies which is a good thing.

Please note I have not factored in lyrics into this review since that is chick stuff. As a musician I'm more interested in musicality, melody, feel of the song, how memorable it is, how the song is put together, the energy, and lastly lyrics.

Overall I would place this somewhere between Songs For The Deaf and Rated R. It has songs that I like and are simple enough to cover. It leaves you wondering why you didn't write that song. I have spent a weekend listening to this album so its a bit early. I might have to post an updated review a month from now when this album has some time to grow on me.

On a scale of 1 to 100 (because a 5 star rating system is not fair).

Era Vulgaris gets an 84 and is totally worth checking out if you are into rock and roll that is not dated in a moment in time like the emo garbage out there.