The 6th studio album from Queens of the Stone Age has been a long time coming to say the very least. Nearly six years have elapsed since they dropped the solid but inconsistent Era Vulgaris, and much has changed in the Queens’ camp during the long period away. Band leader Joshua Homme has battled personal demons, including a near death experience on the operating table, while his ever-shifting line-up has morphed into another new era. The latest incarnation of the band finds Homme joined by long-time cohort Troy Van Leeuwen, along with Dean Fertita (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals) and Michael Shuman (bass, backing vocals). The drumming duties are shared between departing drummer Joey Castillo, new sticksman Jon Theodore (ex-The Mars Volta) and the legendary Dave Grohl – who plays on all bar four of the songs. …Like Clockwork shares common traits with the underrated Lullabies to Paralyze album in its melancholic atmosphere and darker tone, yet the song-writing generates a greater sense of cohesion and consistency.
Queens of the Stone Age have always functioned like an extended family, where the line-up can change significantly from album to album, whilst maintaining a unified chemistry and cohesion regardless of which individuals are involved. This once again proves the case throughout …Like Clockwork. Aside from the core band, the album is stacked with guests, including Mark Lanegan, formerly ousted bassist Nick Oliveri, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, the Arctic Monkeys ’Alex Turner and Sir Elton John. Don’t be fooled by the all-star guest list though, the supporting players are not on board to hog the limelight or rock up to form half-baked collaborations. Instead they are used with restraint and subtlety, with some of the contributions barely discernable to the casual ear.
‘Keep Your Eyes Peeled’ opens proceedings in an unconventional, menacing fashion, setting the platform for the shades of darkness that blankets much of the album. Its rugged rhythm and sludgy, dirge-like gait is offset by Homme’s lilting vocal melodies and backing vocals by the Scissors Sisters’ Jake Shears. The superb ‘I Sat by the Ocean’ takes a more upbeat turn, featuring a classic Queen’s vibe and wonderfully addictive vocal and guitar hooks. It has all the hallmarks of another great breakaway single for the band. The haunting semi-balladry of ‘The Vampyre of Time and Memory’ swells gradually around a simple piano line, buzzing synths and Homme’s delicate vocals. The song is a rousing success and unlike any other in the band’s career, unfolding from its sparse beginning as an addictive bassline and shades of psychedelic guitar embellish the track further.
The dark and slightly oddball strut of ‘If I Had a Tail’ is defined by its clever lyricism and a deceptive hook that becomes hard to shake. Oliveri, Lanegan and Turner offer subtle backing vocals on the track. On a pure rock level, lead-off single ‘God is the Sun’ delivers a hard-hitting anthem that should be an absolute blast live. It’s nicely sequenced halfway through the album, and although not one of the highlights in an album drenched in high-quality, the song holds its own. And it’s this consistency that makes …Like Clockwork such a joy to listen to from start to finish. Despite its downbeat tone, the song-writing is as varied as just about any other Queens of the Stone Age album, yet unlike the past couple of offerings there are no weak links whatsoever. The length of the album (45 minutes) is their shortest since 2000’s Rated R, but it works to the band’s advantage. And like that particular album, …Like Clockwork delivers quality over quantity with the complexity and hooks to keep you coming back.
The multitude of guests on the driving rocker, ‘Fairweather Friends’, doesn’t spoil the brew. Grohl’s high-energy drumming and imaginative fills are a standout, while Elton John’s understated piano work and the backing vocals from John, Lanegan, Reznor and Oliveri adds a further touch of class to the song. But in the end it’s Homme that pilots the song with his assured lead vocals and dazzling guitar work. The sleazy seduction of the funk drenched ‘Smooth Sailing’ breaks up some of the drearier aspects of the album with some tongue-in-cheek lyricism and fine vocals from Homme, as he steers his slinky falsetto into a higher stratosphere.
Perhaps the most epic and emotion charged song of the band’s career; ‘I Appear Missing’ is a sublime slice of melancholy and brooding rock. The stirring climax features some spine-tingling vocals from Homme and it’s an absolute delight. The title track ends the album on a sombre, downbeat note, but does so in spectacular fashion, finding Homme at his most honest and fragile – both vocally and lyrically. The song is a raw, heart-wrenching ballad as Homme declares, “one thing that is clear… it’s all downhill from here”.
Make no mistake, …Like Clockwork is not a return to the band’s glory days, defined by the eclectic rock dynamics and irresistible hooks of Rated R, or the pure rock mastery of Songs for the Deaf, but nor do they try to replicate past feats. Through his revolving line-ups and own restless ambitions, Homme’s song-writing continues to share common threads from album to album, yet each release is defined by its uniquely individual vibe and song-writing flavour. …Like Clockwork unveils a dark and exciting new chapter in the band’s storied career and is arguably their best and most consistent work since Songs for the Deaf, marking another outstanding addition to the Queens’ cannon.
Matador Records
9/10
Reviewer: Luke Saunders