Queens of the Stone Age

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Queens of the Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age  Hear it Now

RS: 4of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4.5of 5 Stars

1998

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On this scorching debut, guitarist-singer Josh Homme – who formerly led Kyuss, a band revered among young stoners – joins with bassist Nick Oliveri and drummer Alfredo Hernandez to create a new turn in the saga of Pacific Northwest hard rock. They've found a vital place between art-metal seriousness and pop pleasure. It begins right away with the trancelike "Regular John," a track that layers Homme's yelping guitar accents over a fuzzy groove. While other metalheads play around with sequencers, Queens of the Stone Age have something a little more heated and classical in mind.

The rest of the album charges on with its compelling contrasts between Homme's papery vocals and the surrounding rampage. Sometimes the songs explore pure heaviness, as on the wall-rattling "Walkin' on the Sidewalks." But more often they thrillingly toy with elements like vocal hooks ("You Would Know") and metal frenzy ("How to Handle a Rope") without giving in to either. Toward the end of the album, on "You Can't Quit Me Baby," the band just jams, Hernandez's drums suddenly airier and sky high in the mix and Homme's otherwise introverted vocals reduced to moans. Minimalist? Yes. Dry? Hardly – here is a sound that sticks to your ears like Memphis in August.

JAMES HUNTER

(Posted: Dec 10, 1998)

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Give us your review of Queens Of The Stone Age

Review 1 of 3

No Screen Name writes:

4of 5 Stars


nah...I think a web author somewhere whacked up the wrong album. check out the Era Vulgaris link here. 4 stars

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/14898800/review/14933379/era_vulgaris

I think it's their strongest album since 'R'. Actually, they havent made a bad one yet but this one is really different - lacerating but deceptively ladden with hooks

May 31, 2007 23:30:45

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Review 2 of 3

No Screen Name writes:

Not Rated


HUH?, did we just go back in time
I read these reviews alot and always look at a handful of
comments and have noticed people balking at rolling stones
opinion.
I see what they mean now, you are reviewing Queens of the
stone age's first ALBUM?

huh?

May 31, 2007 18:27:24

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Review 3 of 3

elpool009 writes:

4of 5 Stars


why is this up here? im pretty sure the boys of qotsa dont exactly mind you guys re-posting an early review of their first record, but ill bet theyd enjoy it even more if you posted the review of their most recent work- era vulgaris. by the way, the new record is entirely different from previous works. certainly more proggy than lullabies, and in my opinion a bit better. whereas on lullabies the mid stream tempo was slowed to a snails pace, there is no real let down on era. just bizarre guitar noise, the usual qotsa harmonies and some beautiful speaker arrangements. all in all a good piece of work from a reliable american rock band.

May 31, 2007 17:02:21

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