Era Vulgaris : Queens of the Stone Age : Review : Rolling Stone

"I'm one of a kind," Josh Homme boasts on the new Queens of the Stone Age album. "I'm designer!" Well, that's one way to put it. There aren't any others like him, that's for sure, and he's never been an easy one to figure out. Here's a rock star who seems to shuffle his band's lineup as often as he shaves his back, yet who always sounds like himself, making fun of solemn art types but working harder than any of them. He manages to be the token metal dude for indie kids and the token punk for headbangers, without compromising for either camp. Homme makes music in all kinds of incarnations -- the Queens, Eagles of Death Metal, his endless Desert Sessions projects. But he always seems to inhabit his own musical world, a zone where lost kids chase the desert acid-trip vibe of classic Seventies midnight movies like Vanishing Point and Two-Lane Blacktop. Really, the scene in Vanishing Point where the naked hippie chick cruises across the desert sand on her Harley, blasting Mountain's "Mississippi Queen," could be the starting point for every song on this album.

Era Vulgaris is Homme's fifth Queens album, and like the others, it's intricately crafted, meticulously polished and ruthlessly efficient in its pursuit of depraved rock thrills, with robotic rhythm machines like "Turning on the Screw" and "I'm Designer." Last time, Homme got slept on with the excellent but underrated Lullabies to Paralyze -- people were thrown off initially by its down-in-the-dumps mood, which may be why the music took longer to kick in for some fans. But Era Vulgaris is a lot cockier than Lullabies, clobbering you instantly with guitars louder and uglier than a psychedelic biker party at Joshua Tree's Skull Rock. "Misfit Love" is the ultimate Queens anthem, all low-register guitar crunch, with a percussion track that sounds like tennis balls the size of Betelgeuse crashing into a Moog factory. Homme snarls, "I wanna see my past in flames," and he gets his wish.

Supposedly, his party buddies at the Era Vulgaris sessions included Trent Reznor, the Strokes' Julian Casablancas and regular guest Mark Lanegan. But none of them are really audible -- are you surprised? Instead, we get the many moods of Josh Homme, most of which concern the miracle of physical love and the procurement thereof. He's always said he wanted the Queens to be a band for the ladies, not the menfolk, and from the vocals to the bass lines this is his most crotch-tensive music. "Make It Wit Chu" is an old Desert Sessions song, revamped into a ridiculous lover-boy plaint, with Homme doing his sleaziest falsetto over a lounge-lizard cousin of Neil Young's "Southern Man." "Into the Hollow" is a surprisingly tender purple-haze ballad, with Homme's vibrato amid a gently quivering wah-wah and the usual assload of bass. "Run Pig Run" is staccato jackhammer blues metal, "3's and 7's" sounds like prime Nirvana and "Sick, Sick, Sick" is manic punk riffing, offering "a lick on the lips and a grip on your hips." All excellent news for Brody Dalle.

Homme is a man of many surprises. Here's something you wouldn't expect about Era Vulgaris: the influence of New Wave synth geek Gary Numan is all over this record. Even rave-ups like "Battery Acid," "Suture Up Your Future" and "3's and 7's" have vintage-synth hooks copped from The Pleasure Principle -- it may sound crazy, but if there's one thing you should have learned about Homme by now, he'll heist a badass riff from anywhere. In "I'm Designer," he sings about his "generation" and means it, his fey falsetto a parody of hippie cosmic aspirations. But even though the joke is a great one, you hear that falsetto, and you realize it's here for one main reason, just like every other sonic flourish on Era Vulgaris: Josh Homme loves how it sounds.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: May 30, 2007)

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Review 1 of 25

3of 5 Stars

This fifth album has a very odd sound to it. It is boozy, wonky, yet dirty and storming at best. Often, it's a bit of a chore to work through, with "Run Pig Run" and "Sick Sick Sick" verging on opressive. As a whole, this album seems to be almost overflowing with (generally good) ideas, so they've created one of the better rock n' roll albums of 2007.

Sep 20, 2008 20:42:31

Review 2 of 25

1of 5 Stars

I just can't get it why a lot of people like this album.. it totally dissapointed me when I first heard it. Lullabies to Paralyze is a great f*cking album, and Era Vulgaris just sucks real hard.

The over-the-top psychedelica really cause cramps on my balls, it's very overdone. Josh Homme is one of the people I admire, but he let me down bigtime with Era Vulgaris..

I'm going to see QOTSA live at Pinkpop (Holland) next spring, and I really hope they wont play a lot of Era Vulgaris-songs, which they problably do. Too bad Lullabies to Paralyze was so underrated, and Era Vulgaris is so overrated..

Feb 29, 2008 17:17:19

Review 3 of 25

4of 5 Stars

Queens of the stoneage have come a long way there last album was kinda of a dissapoint ment but this one is a comeback but still not as good as Songs for the Def. Queens of the Stoneage sound has ovled a little differently for the best Tracks like 3s and 7s, Sick SIck SIck, are prety stand out good songs. and the album cover is prety cool itself.

Jan 19, 2008 13:34:13

Review 4 of 25

5of 5 Stars

THE BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR
I love it.
And for those who say else I say:
You Go And Do More Drugs.
Maybe then you will get it.

Oct 27, 2007 03:11:54

Review 5 of 25

5of 5 Stars

Undeniably, Josh Homme is a great song-writer. His track record speaks for itself. Despite this, I've never been a massive QOTSA fan. I've always dug their work, but I've never invested enough time to call myself a genuine fan. Era Vulgaris has turned all that around for me.

This is an amazingly broad album, and yet maintains a consistent message of inspired disgust. The guitars are dirty, the beats and drums are manic, the vocals are delivered with varying degrees of attitude, and the overall result is astounding.

The album has quite a few special tracks. 'I'm Designer' is an amazing sex-fueled pop track, with razor-sharp lyrics and a lush catchy chorus. Album opener, 'Turnin' On The Screw' is another highlight, with it's brilliant arrangement and monster feel. 'Make It Wit Chu' is cruisey and immediate. And album closer 'Run Pig Run' is manic and terifying, with it's blistering guitar riffs and doomsday chorus.

All in all, this album is well worth checking out. I'm just so grateful it didn't slip by me.

Easily my album of the year for 2007.

Oct 15, 2007 19:57:23

Review 6 of 25

5of 5 Stars

I seriously, when I heard this, I was amazed. I'm not sure why, Homme always delivers, but it was REALLY good! Have you heard "Make It Wit Chu"? Reminds me of a nice R&B song, very seductive, and Homme's voice sends chills up my spine. "3's and 7's" is the best song on the album , it IS Queens of the Stone Age. "Sick, Sick, Sick" impresses me with the lyrics: "Young, dumb, don't see a problem...." And don't get me started on "Battery Acid" and "Turnin on the Screw", they are classic songs in the making.

Actually, this is a Classic Rock band in the making. Along with Wolfmother and Jet, my generation might just have OUR own classic rock to offer, thanks to QOTSA.

Oct 5, 2007 17:20:11

Review 7 of 25

2of 5 Stars

(excuse my English) The reason why "Lullabies..." got a 3-stars review was, in my opinion, because an amazing first half and a boring second half (except for "Long slow goodbye" and maybe "Broken Box"). So, I'm still trying to understand why an album made out of songs like the ones in that second half gets an "Excellent". I really like Homme's work, but this one is (mostly) pure mediocrity. His wonderful voice drowns in sea of reverbed "ahhhs" and "ohhhs", wich wouldn't be such a problem if he spent more than 5 minutes to write the melodies. Some of these actually sound improvised, like in "Battery acid", wich has to be the worst song to ever come out of Homme's head. Seems to me that he put aside all of his pop instinct in benefit of more psychodelia. I couldn't find a single song to hum to all day. No "Tangled up in plaid" or "First it giveth". I kinda like "Into the hollow" and "3's & 7's", but that' about it. I'm not asking for a Justin Timberlake album: I was just hoping for that catchy-but-obscure style Homme's famous for.

Sep 11, 2007 07:07:40

Review 8 of 25

4of 5 Stars

after letting it sink in...queens really saved my perception of rock n roll when i discovered them a few years ago. era vulgaris is an immaculate rock album. it's full of that sexy, excessive, filthy, hedonistic sound that makes for a good rock experience. they sound great no matter what form you hear them, and that's uncommon now.

Jul 31, 2007 21:22:23

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