Queens of the Stone Age "...Like Clockwork" Review

Queens of the Stone Age are a unique group. With their members drawn from the stoner metal pioneer group Kyuss, there were high expectations since the group’s inception (by Kyuss guitarist Josh Homme), and Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) have certainly delivered. Although they are not truly “metal,” they have metal elements, and are certainly heavy. Their song “Mexicola” (off QOTSA’s self-titled debut album) is considered by many to be a stoner rock classic. Over the years, their sound and members have changed, but they have a consistent style and feel that continues from album to album. Recently, they released a new album entitled …Like Clockwork. This is a review of that album.

...Like Clockwork is an instant classic. The flow of the songs is unparalleled in any of their previous releases, yet each song is unique and powerful, and could stand alone on a single. Each of the tracks has a different vibe and sound, and it is sure to satisfy any hard rock fan, even if they are unused to QOTSA. Although it has less hard rock elements than some of the band’s other albums, it is instantly recognizable as a QOTSA release, as it bears the signatures of the group: a polished recording sound that somehow still retains a garage rock feel, interesting drums grooves, Josh Homme’s distinct David Byrne/Bowie vocal style, and of course the underlying heavy feel of the whole album. The Album was also released with accompanying videos for several of the tracks, which when put together form a 15 minute mini-movie (which can be found on YouTube) that some believe is about the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

               The first track on ...Like Clockwork is “Keep Your Eyes Peeled,” a decidedly dark piece that is probably the heaviest song on the album. It is not heavy in a death-metal sense, but more in an ominous, intimidating and creepy way. The guitar tone is distorted and dark. This song has an interesting drum track, played around the beats on which the guitar is strummed. Its strange, off-kilter style is a testament to the skill of new QOTSA drummer Jon Theodore. It is a slower track, but packs a heavy punch as the opener for the album.

               Song 2 on …Like Clockwork is the track “I Sat by the Ocean,” which is probably the most upbeat song on the album, especially when compared to the dark album opener. If you were sitting at the beach and needed some music, this would be the song to put on; even the title encourages it. The song features all the usual QOTSA elements: a guitar solo, terrific vocals from Josh Homme, impressive drumming, and a solid song structure.

               …Like Clockwork’s next song is “The Vampyre of Time and Memory,” which is a mellow tune that starts out with only piano, but moves on to feature light guitar and drum work. It is well-crafted so that the beginning is softer and melancholy, but it begins looking up towards the end, with the drums and a guitar solo. But the lyrics stay in the same low place, as the song is about loneliness and wanting to die. However, the album’s next track gets you back on your feet.

               “If I had a Tail” is …Like Clockwork’s fourth track, and it comes just in time after the darkness of “The Vampyre of Time and Memory.” It is a track whose best description can be found through watching the music video: it makes you want to drive through the desert at night and destroy things with Molotov cocktails. It features a driving drumbeat, a rousing chorus, and a fantastic riff/solo ending segment. According to Josh Homme, “If I had a tail, I’d own the place.” This song already does.

               ”My God is the Sun” was released as the first single from …Like Clockwork, and holds slot 5 on the album itself. It is a phenomenal track, with an excellent riff that stays with you, and a powerful rhythm section. It is also powerful as a desert rock piece, with distortion and riffage that is signature to the genre. Even the lyrics scream “desert rock,” (almost literally) as they are about healing with fire and worshipping the sun. The music video for this song is also quite unique, as it features the “four horsemen” from the other videos from this album rising up into the sky and being consumed by the sun.

               The next song, “Kalopsia,” is a stark contrast from “My God is the Sun,” featuring soft-loud dynamics, but mostly focused around the softer piano side to the song. It is a fairly straightforward song, even with programmed (or at least programmed-sounding) drums during the piano sections. It does not have any of the desert rock associations that QOTSA are known for, and could barely be considered a hard rock song. But that is not to say that it is not a solid tune. It contributes greatly to the superb flow dynamic of the album as a whole, and is still recognizably a QOTSA song even out of context.

               “Fairweather Friends” features the most guest appearances of any song on the record. Even though Josh Homme changes the QOTSA lineup almost every album, as well as inviting guest musicians, this track takes the cake for not only the most non-Queens of the Stone Age personnel, but also some of the most impressive: Dave Grohl (who, yes, also played drums on many other tracks on this album, but is still most definitely worth mentioning), ex-Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri, who sings backup, Nine Inch Nails frontman and sole contributor Trent Reznor (also on backing vocals) and Sir Elton John, who of course plays piano on the track. In addition to these mentioned, the song was also played on by the current standard QOTSA personnel. The song itself is a solid hard rock piece, and each contributing musician brings a great contribution, making this one of the more memorable songs on the record.

               “Smooth Sailing” is probably the strangest song on the album. It begins with a high-noted strumming on the guitar, and immediately launches into a greasy stomp with a simple but extremely powerful drumbeat. The verses are carried by a low distorted guitar tone, but the choruses have the same high strumming heard at the beginning of the song. Then, towards the end, the song launches into a strange, off key guitar portion that finishes off the track. The different sections of the song give it an interesting feel, one of both stoner metal distortion and of pop catchiness.

               “I Appear Missing” is the second to last song on the album, and it reinstates the darker and more melancholy mood felt earlier on with songs like “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” and “The Vampyre of Time and Memory.” However, “I Appear Missing” is nothing like either of these songs. It features an odd drumbeat that is played around the guitar, and a softer guitar tone. However, despite the softer tone, it does not keep it away from an obvious hard rock base, and still retains a mental image of desert scenery. Its mood and tone perfectly preserve the flow of the album, and return it to its initial themes before the end.

               “…Like Clockwork” is the final song on the album, and is also (obviously) the title track. In the return to the mellow feel, this song certainly preserves that direction, beginning with piano that wouldn’t sound out of place on and Adele record. However, at about the midpoint of the song, it starts in with a drumbeat and guitars. It also adds elements like brass instruments over the guitar. The song winds back down and finishes out with a softer feel. Like every other song on the album, and like the album itself, it is brilliantly made and written, with everything being done purposefully to aid the flow of the album. This is a phenomenal record, with perfectionism a sense of direction unseen even in other Queens of the Stone Age album. It is a masterpiece of a band that has already proved itself master of the genre.