Disco de Queens of the Stone Age: “Songs for the Deaf [Clean]”

...points?!

Man oh man. I'm driving down Route 21, ripping along, and Queens of the StAge are playing. "Song for the Dead" comes on and there's this wicked riff, truly the musical embodiment of an evil grin, at about a minute-ten left. Chunky, salty, grinding, and I'm really into the pounding sound. Crash fade.

Three seconds later, THEY PLAY IT AGAIN. The best riff on the song, and they do it again, rip it up, and let you have it.

Oh man, that's a band that delivers the goods.

See, I'm a sucker for good formulas well executed. The interstitials of a guy pretending to tune in "Queens" songs and DJ talk-ups, I dig. I'm a huge Slayer fan, but "Six Shooter" is the best death metal song of 2002. I get it, I really do.

Haven't enjoyed something this thoroughly, through all the tracks of an album, since Kilgore released "Search for Reason". Sure, there's fourteen distinct tracks on here, and not every one is a balls-out rocker, but each song deserves headphones and some uninterrupted attention... unless you're driving down Route 21.

Then all ya need is track four. And play it baby, play it.

Wow - A truely great release from The Queens of the Stone Age. After dropping all our jaws with 2000's Rated R. the boys step it up a few more notches with Songs For The Deaf. The entire record simply rocks. From the sheer rock muscle of tunes like Millionaire and Six Shooter, to, dare I say pop fare like the great, No One Knows. The whole album works together to really just give a kick the pants to today's bland rock music polluting the air.

this time out they have brought aboard Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) and a little known drummer named Dave Grohl. Each adds depth and focus to an already near perfect effort.

Other highlights for me include the amazing Sky Is Fallin' , the strangely sweet Mosquito Song and the dark, Song For The Deaf. I am extremely pleased with what Josh and Co. have achieved on their latest. Far surpasses all expectations

Queens of the Stone Age is a band I was introduced to back in college. It was actually this album, Songs For the Deaf, that was released during that time and a few of my friends were buzzing about it. I didn't give the band much of a change back then though. I liked their singles, but something was keeping me from sitting down and listening to the album from beginning to end. Recently, due to the last three QOTSA albums, I've become a pretty big fan of the band and I'm kicking myself for not giving them more of a chance back then. As of this review, Songs For the Deaf is my favorite release from the band. I guess the main thing that kept me from getting into them sooner is Josh Homme's voice. He sings in several different styles and tones and I like it when a vocalist is capable of doing that. It's just at times it sounds like he's not putting much effort into singing. He sounds kind of monotone and his vocals crawl along in certain songs. Sometimes, like with the song, "Hangin' Tree," it works extremely well. In my opinion, it sounds like he tries to match his tone of voice to the beat and rhythm to the song. Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes you look forward to the end of a song. That really seems to be my only complaint as I love everything else about this band. The lineup to the band is constantly changing and while that's kind of disappointing on one hand, it's pretty impressive on the other. With new band members, new ideas could be brought to the table. Their sound won't ever go stale. This also leaves multiple opportunities for Homme to work with a lot of musicians and the creative outcome isn't always the same. I think Josh Homme described it best in a quote from him in 2000, "It really is more of a musical experiment...It keeps moving and reinventing itself. That way we never get painted into a corner." If you're wondering why this band is getting the buzz that they do or if you've been putting off trying to be a full fledged fan of this band, then this is the album to start with.

The album kicks off with "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I feel Like A Millionaire." There's a certain theme throughout the record. It's like someone is flipping through radio stations and you're just along for the ride. That theme starts here with a thirty second intro. We hear a DJ say, "I need a saga. What's the saga? It's Songs For the Deaf. You can't even hear it!" That statement alone is so ridiculous, I have to love it. Josh Homme immediately introduces us to how well he can scream. The song is filled with crunching guitars and clapping...of all things. It's actually an incredible combination. The drums almost seem to take a backseat on this song, but don't worry. There's plenty of time for Dave Grohl to strut his stuff later. All in all, a great way to start off the record.

The first single, "No One Knows" is next. There's a pretty solid drum beat that leads those same riffing guitars. Dave Grohl lets loose on the drums during the chorus. The vocals are a good example of Homme's unique singing voice. It's a decent song and a great choice for a single. I just feel it drags in certain parts. The radio station tuning returns in Spanish to close the track.

"First It Giveth" begins with a spastic guitar rhythm. The switch to acoustic guitar during the end of the chorus is a nice touch. The drums are brought to the foreground as you can hear every stomp and crash Grohl pounds into his drum set. Great song. One of my favorites on the record.

"A Song For the Dead" has my favorite intro on the record since it starts with the guitars in the background and some amazing drum work in the foreground. Then the whole band chimes in. Homme introduces us to yet another singing style. It's very raspy. This song is a good example of his tone matching the beat and rhythm of the song. Some pretty incredible guitar riffs occupy the middle, while the drums go off on an incredible tangent on their own. The track ends with those same pounding drums and noisy riffs from the beginning except it's much faster. It's almost as if they're showing off and I mean that in the best way. Another favorite track of mine.

"The Sky Is Fallin'" starts off with some background vocals that remind me of Radiohead for some reason. The song revolves around distorted guitars and what sounds like a lot of cymbals. The vocals go into some new territory as Homme sings in a higher tone than he normally does at times. This song seems a little too long to me. It clocks in at a little over six minutes and just doesn't hook me like other QOTSA songs have done in the past. Radio theme returns with some pretty humorous stuff to close the track.

"Six Shooter" can best be described as a very loud hard hitting song. There's a lot of yelling and it's only a little over a minute in length. It's actually a great song considering its length.

"Hangin' Tree." Another awesome song filled with raspy vocals. I love the rhythm this song has. The guitar riffs and pounding drums make this song...and record for that matter. It has a good pace. The music is a little fast while the vocals are kinda slow. The track ends with us turning the station to...

"Go With the Flow." The other single from this record. I usually dislike singles as they're usually overplayed, but I think I could hear this song over and over again and not get tired of it. The piano in this song is an extremely awesome addition that makes me love the song even more. Homme's vocals and Grohl's drumming help wrap this song up into an incredibly good single. The sound of the radio changing stations can be heard again at the end of the track.

"Gonna Leave You" buzzes its way into the speakers. Those same distorted guitar riffs we know so well kick in. Homme sings at that slightly higher tone again and it fits the song well. The song itself just doesn't do a whole lot for me. It just feels like filler. It has a decent beat, but the vocals seem to be lacking.

"Do It Again" begins with chants of, "HEY!" and noisy guitar riffs. The song is a step above the last one, but still seems to fall short overall. The chorus is a little too repetitive for my taste. It's another decent song that just isn't up to par with other songs on the record. More radio station surfing. Lots of religious stations and songs get skimmed through, which means...

"God Is In the Radio" is next. The drum beat and bass line pave the way for the guitars to chime in. The piano/keyboard parts are very brief. I mean, it sounds like one note being played in the background, but it's a welcome addition to the already fantastic beat to the song. The vocals are sung in a way that fit the song very well. It's like Homme isn't putting much effort into singing. The lyrics are almost just spoken. It's a bit slow, but is bound to get stuck in your head.

"Another Love Song". Homme has such a unique voice and he showcases it here. The drums have a beat that make you want to stomp your feet as what sounds like an organ occupies the background. The guitars sound like they're straight out of Pulp Fiction. Another decent song, but I usually skip it for...

"A Song For the Deaf." Another track that clocks in at over six minutes, but this time it doesn't waste a note. The bass line during the beginning reminds me of Tool. The QOTSA sound isn't really distinguished until the whole band chimes in. Homme's voice shines yet again. There's weird screaming that can be heard in the background as it jumps from speaker to speaker. It's like the vocals are sung while the background vocals are sung in that raspy style I mentioned earlier. The guitar riffs jump back and forth from sounding distorted to sounding fuzzy. A great way to end the album.

The secret song, referred to as "The Mosquito Song," is quite possibly the best secret song I've ever stumbled across. They also named their next album, Lullabies To Paralyze, after a lyric in this song. The song is mostly done with an acoustic guitar while Homme sings. I actually really like the lyrics in this song. What sounds like an accordian or maybe an organ chimes in a little later on while a great piano piece occupies the middle of the song. Some horns also make an appearance and some amazing viola work that actually sounds like mosquitos at times. Amazing song overall.

While the way Homme sings at times certainly takes away from certain songs, it's also one of the things that makes this album great. That combined with Dave Grohl's amazing skills on the drums really make the third effort from this band straight out of Palm Desert, California my favorite release from them overall. I'd probably rate this album a solid 8/10.

Queens are an interesting band because they don't really follow trend or date, they just try to write stuff that they think is cool. Well, I think it's cool too. This album is their masterpiece to date. Great songs, tight dirty sound, and stellar performances by all involved. Josh Homme is very apt at putting together great musicians who can really create a chemistry. Lanegan sounds awesome and really adds a nice color to the songs he's on. 'Former' bass player Nick Oliveri is rabid and screaming his own sonic contributions and cooler than ever.

As for their drummer on this album, the 'Too Damn Talented For His Own Good' Dave Grohl, well let's just say that his drumming on this record is just plain perfectly sick. Tight, energetic, tasteful and always adding to the songs. It's guys like Grohl that make musicians like me pissed off. In a good way though.

If you like original, guitar heavy, atmospheric rock then look no further. As far as I'm concerned this is the best rock album put out in the last 5-10 years. Yeah, it's that good.

Millionaire," the first song on Songs For The Deaf may be familiar to some because it's listed on the WWE Tough Enough 2 Soundtrack. This song slyly introduces the listener to what's to come with the muffled guitar cranking into full volume less than a minute into the track. The lead vocal position rotates among the album with Nick Oliveri going first, doing his best Iggy Pop impersonation, which is pretty much him screaming at the top of his lungs.

"No One Knows" has Homme doing lead vocals with his smirking wise-ass style. "No One Knows" lets Dave lead the way with boogie style drums. Oliveri and Homme harmonize over Josh's Ace Frehley-like riff. This is most likely the first single from Songs For The Deaf, as a video has already been made.

After a funny intro from a Mexican radio jock, "First It Giveth" comes chugging along as the third track on the album. Josh remains the vocalist. It's nice to hear someone involved in "metal" actually sing instead of growl and groan. Next is "Song For the Dead" which let's Grohl do some cool fills on the drums before Homme thuds in. Oliveri does lead vocals while Homme backs him up.

One of the most interesting elements in Songs For The Deaf are the smaller touches, like Homme and Oliveri harmonizing, Grohl's stop-start drumming that enforce Homme's tractor-beam like guitar. In "Song For The Dead" there are at least three different riffs. In most metal songs nowadays you get one riff and it wears itself out quick.

The rest of the album gets even heavier if you can believe that. "The Sky Is Falling" is a six minute song that expands and contracts like a black hole. "Six Shooter" lets Oliveri vent some anger in two minutes of his screaming. "Hanging Tree" Mark Lanegan comes to the forefront with his whiskey soaked voice to a spacey psychedelic type song that is all over the place, but in a good way. "Go With The Flow" and "Gonna Leave You" go back to that fun boogie sound like "No One Knows" And "Do It Again" sounds like a sports anthem with its "Rock and Roll Part 1" by Gary Glitter type riff.

The last four songs of the album are by far the standouts. After some crazy radio static complete with revival like radio preachers, we go into "God Is In The Radio". This Doors-esque song has one of the best guitar solos I have heard in a long time. "Another Love Song" is another trippy psychedelic song complete with organ. The title track "Song For The Deaf" is introduced appropriately by a dominatrix type DJ because this song is dark and primal. The hidden track on the CD, "Mosquito Song" is a acoustic number complemented with a horn, piano and string section, reminiscent of earlier power ballads by Led Zeppelin ("Going To California) and Black Sabbath ("Laguna Sunrise"). At the end of the song you can hear something that sounds like the opening riff to "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" from Rated R. A nice little surprise.

With nothing but complete objectivity and sincerity, I can say that not only is this QOTSA's best album, not only one of the best albums of the year, this is one of the all time best. This ranks up here with Appetite For Destruction, Reign In Blood, and Superunknown. This album is a must purchase for anyone who loves it loud, is tired of the modern day rap-metal and poser metal scene or just wants to hear something new. Stop reading and go buy it.