“Queens of the Stone Age are a beacon of hope on a sea of
digitized and auto-tuned heathens sucking on the tit of the uninformed public.
FOLLOW THE BEACON PEOPLE!”
This was my first statement on social media regarding the
new Queens of the Stone Age LP, ...Like Clockwork. My opinion has not
changed after twenty or so more listens since making that statement, if
anything my love for this album has grown even more.
On their sixth studio effort Queens of the Stone Age
have achieved that rare feat of making their greatest work to date late in
their recording careers. ...Like Clockwork feels like a true
amalgamation of QOTSA’s previous endeavors that only uses what works while
leaving behind the noise and clutter that filled in the spaces of their
previous albums.
With a full cast of characters including Elton John, Trent
Reznor, Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Brody
Dalle (Mrs. Homme) and past Queens of the Stone Age members like Dave Grohl,
Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan joining in the fray you would think ...Like
Clockwork would sound cluttered with all of its many voices and talents. In
actuality the opposite is true. Each friend of the band is blended into the
recording in such a way that if you had not read they were on the album you
would NEVER know.
...Like Clockwork feels like the most complete Queens
of the Stone Age album to date. Each song is carefully crafted and has the
signature QOTSA sound and structure that fans have been clamoring for ever
since Era Vulgaris was released six years ago to a so-so reception. Hard
charging staples like “Keep Your Eyes Peeled,” “If I Had a Tail,” “I Sat By the
Ocean” and “My God Is the Sun” fit in seamlessly with dreamy desert ballads
like “The Vampyre of Time and Memory,” “I Appear Missing,” “Kalopsia” and the
title track “...Like Clockwork.”
No matter what your favorite Queens of the Stone Age album
is you will find something on ...Like Clockwork that will hearken you
back to that album. As a life-long fan of Queens of the Stone Age fan I can
honestly say that ...Like Clockwork is their most important and
well-crafted album to date. None of the tracks feel out of place or
unnecessary. The band has grown in grand fashion and only appears to be gaining
momentum and cohesion with its current line-up of Joshua Homme, Troy Van
Leeuwen, Dean Fertita, Mikey Shuman and Jon Theodore.
Hear Queens of the Stone Age perform ...Like Clockwork
at Red Rocks Amphitheater on August 15th 2013! Purchase the CD or LP
at Twist & Shout and stay tuned to our blog as I will be reviewing the
concert as well!
- Jeff M. Albright
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