Queens Of
The Stone Age’s
seventh record is a mixed bag. For one
of my all-time favourite bands, a placing outside the top 10 is telling, but – at the same time – shows
that even a comparatively weak QOTSA record still beats a lot of other things
for me. It starts in blistering fashion,
with a distant, clanking future-tech intro giving way to a driving wah-riff and
choppy chorus on opener ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me’. Yep, I think, we’re in for an absolute treat here. Except that, unfortunately, this stays the
high point of the album. Second track
and lead-single ‘The Way You Used To’ also is strong, an off-kilter little
beast that recalls the tone of ‘No One Knows’. The bobble-bass and the Eagles Of
Death Metal style call and response of ‘Head Like A Haunted House’, and the
fantastic riff on ‘The Evil Has Landed’ (a track that’s very Them Crooked Vultures)
are other notable high points. But
elsewhere the record loses its way. The three chord repetition of ‘Domesticated
Animals’ eventually grates. Album closer
‘Villains of Circumstance’ tries hard, and has a lovely chorus, but much of it
is a mess: annoying (almost) spoken word and unnecessary odd noises. Not strong. Overall, Villains suffers from a bit of an identity crisis, with Josh Homme
wanting to try a few things differently. No harm in that, and had they committed
to that spirit a bit more, the results may have been better. Instead this flits between a traditional QOTSA template and something else, and
so never truly excels with either. They’re still a wonderful band, and when this record is good, like on
its opening track, it’s as good as anything on this list. But Villains
represents a notable drop-off from 2013’s excellent …Like Clockwork, and is – at best – a mid-level Queens album. Still well worth its 11th place
finish, but can do better.
sample track: Feet Don’t Fail Me