04.
Queens Of The Stone Age
Era Vulgaris

Another of the few records this year from an established favourite that was actually an improvement on its predecessor: Josh Homme never lets me down. It took some time for me to get into his latest offering (for a while I played the Eagles of Death Metal record – which features Homme on drums – more), but class shone through in the end. This is something of a change from the traditional Queens Of The Stone Age format, and is all the better for it. Whilst 2005’s Lullabies to Paralyse was an adequate, if formulaic, retread of former glories, Era Vulgaris offers something else. A slower pace, but a much more experimental feel, with Homme really working his effects unit. The rolling, stoner rock thrust of their early masterpieces is gone, and in its place is spiky and rather jarring riffing, which takes some time to adjust to. When I did, I found a wealth of treats on offer. ‘I’m Designer’ is a slightly unhinged scuzz workout (complete with slide bass – who does that?), whilst ‘Misfit Love’ is built around some great minimalist drumming. Ok, so ‘I Wanna Make It Wit Chu’ is just as shit as it was when Homme released it on the Desert Sessions record a few years back (its dusting off has done little to disguise the fact that it doesn’t belong here), but other than that there is not a weak track on show. A shame that I was so ill that I had to forsake my ticket to see them this year…