Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris


Queens Of The Stone Age
Era Vulgaris
Interscope/Rekords Records
2007

A complete powerhouse of a record. Probably the best I have heard all year. It seems QOTSA make every other record consistently good all the way through. Not that "R" or "Lullabies To Paralyze" weren't great records, but they didn't hold a candle to either their self titled debut or "Songs For The Deaf" and "Era Vulgaris" is no different. A complete departure from the sound of the previous album(s), this record bludgeons its way into your skull from the second you press play or drop that needle.

The reason I am just getting to writing about this (it came out on June 12th of this year), is that it was released on triple 10" vinyl on December 4th.

Now to delve into the tracks.


#1-Turnin' On The Screw

I actually said to my co-worker, "When did Joshua Homme morph into Jimmy Page?".
The rhythmic pattern of this song is so blatantly Led Zeppelin it would be contrived if it weren't coming from this band. A standout track almost immediately.
#2-Sick, Sick, Sick

Either its the mix on the CD or my high-range hearing is going to hell, but I can barely pick out Julian Casablancas on this track. I know he's on there...down in the chorus...but maybe he got...lost.
#3-I'm Designer
Keeping the flow moving. GREAT opening lyrics, "My
generation's for sale, it's a steady job. How much have ya got?".
#4-Into The Hollow
Reminds me of tracks from "Lullabies to Paralyze", given the b-sides I would've left this one off.
#5-Misfit Love

Getting back to business here. A fucking great track that should translate exceedingly well live. I believ
e it's their current opener. This song makes muted fret-string grinding cool again.
#6-Battery Acid
#7-Make It Wit Chu

If you are a heavy listener of Joshua Homme's work, you will recognize this song from the last volume of The Desert Sessions. A pretty killer song featuring Jesse "The Devil" Hughes from Eagles Of Death Metal. Did you catch QOTSA perform this on MTV with Cee-Lo and Dave Grohl? Check It Out Here.

#8-3's & 7's
This song could have been on "Songs For The Deaf". Probably my favorite on the record. The video i
s fucking killer...and NOT work friendly.
#9-Suture Up Your Future

Nice, laid back psych kind of feel. Definitely a comp-worthy track for driving through the desert. (mental
note)
#10-River In The Road

#11-Run, Pig, Run
Joey Castillo let's you have it. Like a bore through the back of your head. I had serious doubts about him following Dave Grohl's stint with the band, but the guy earns my props for his drumming on this album. Fantastically tripped guitars here as well.
Bonus Tracks
Depending on where you bought your copy, you got one of the following:

Running Joke
Era Vulgaris

Stand out song. Should have been on the fucking record. Features Trent Reznor. I mean come the fuck on.

The Fun Machine Took A Shit And Died
Remember when they mentioned this song in the liner notes for "Lullabies To Paralyze"? Well here it is. Just try finding the ultra-rare 7" of this fucker. Go ahead, I dare ya.
White Wedding (Billy Idol)
Meh. Not a huge fan of this song. I was in a band that did it once. Fun to play.
Goin' Out West (Tom Waits)
Awesome. Should have been on the record just to expose all the Bro's to Tom Waits' material.
I'm Designer (Primal Scream Remix)
Now, anything Adrian Sherwood touches is almost automatically great. Well usually. This is a pretty decent remix of a great album track.

I truly believe this band is one of the few saving the Hard Rock sound. I don't typically talk like a hippie, but seriously folks. There aren't a lot of inspiring Hard Rock bands out there anymore. If you have the chance to hear their first album "Queens Of The Stone Age", do yourself a favor and check it out. It's different from this, but equally as rockin'.

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