(c) Andreas Neumann
Six years have passed since the release of the controversial “Villain”. Apart from new Desert Sessions, Josh Homme has hardly made any musical headlines since then. The desert veteran is in the middle of a divorce and custody battle, and he recently revealed a recent history of cancer. Now there is a new record of his Queens Of The Stone Agewhich, however, is more than ever removed from former stoner expectations. „In Times New Roman…“ pushes the creative opening of its predecessor without completely sacrificing its own sound.
“Obscenery” shows how it’s done. The opener introduces the typical nonchalance of the desert queens, seems catchy and danceable at the same time. A little glam resonates and builds a bridge to the earlier records – thick, intense, a little different and yet pleasantly familiar. That’s fun. For “Carnavoyeur” the tempo is missing for large parts, and the instrumentation has also been reduced. Working towards a cathartic climax, which – as so often in life – ultimately fails to materialize, knows how to entertain. Sweetish melodies and some chaos between the rhythm section and synthetics in the main part put listening habits to the test.
From time to time the old, driven riffs still come through. “Paper Machete” ties in with some of the old Stoner Rock wisdom, only served up more frontally and traditionally. The drive is irresistible, but the lyrics are dubious: Homme shoots sharply and underhandedly at his ex-wife, which is unworthy of him (and unfortunately not the only time on this record). And yet you can hardly escape this powerhouse. The epic, multi-layered “Straight Jacked Fitting” also deserves a mention. In between, Led Zeppelin riffs shimmer through, then the alternative screws are tightened. However, where there used to be an exaggerated, suspended finale, there is a calm, filigree coda – unusual, but coherent.
Lots of top-class, rousing material without any weaknesses, but at the same time no oversong: “In Times New Roman…” ultimately didn’t turn out to be the big hit, but placed above the transitional album “Villains”. Queens Of The Stone Age are finding their new (age) sound more and more, leave the last stoner expectations behind and write sometimes complex, sometimes incredibly direct rock songs with some small surprises. One sincerely wishes Homme an orderly private life and better health, because these strong songs without a felt handbrake would be irresistible – one complains on a high level, and yet there could actually be more.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 06/16/2023
Available through: Matador Records / Beggars Group (Indigo)
Website: qotsa.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/QOTSA
Category: Magazin, Reviews