QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - R

The sentiments of these alternative rock dudes are quite evident as they kick in with their Feelgood Hit Of The Summer - a pulsating listing of all the popular recreational, legal and banned substances, from nicotine & alcohol to marijuana & ecstasy. But this almost in-yer-face pace is not maintained throughout as the Queens take the listener through a range of rock dispositions, injecting humour and attitude as they go along. The R-rating motif on the cover design stating that the material is not suitable for ANYone, hardly matches the content as it’s not exactly all that dangerous or prone to corruption of fragile minds. It does however make for cool overall design whereby each song has its related labels for the different explicit content to be found in each (including Illegal Substances, Nudity, Paranoid Delusions, Lascivious Behaviour, Consumption and Blind Faith). The vocals can get pretty angry like on Lightning Song and Quick And To The Pointless - the latter including a female chourus & hand clapping (!). A strange device between In The Fade and Tension Head has the previous track fade across into the next, then delivering a very Tool-sounding intro which kicks into a momentary reprise of Feelgood Hit - more of a brief outburst than a song. The last track, I Think I Lost My Headache is a calm acoustic guitar & bongo passage heading towards a hidden track with a fuzzy, slow & dirty temperament, a brass section thrown in, drifting into an insane & loopy closing, totaling 8 ½ minutes. A cool rock project with a mind of its own.

4 / A
- PB

A - Multiple Listening Possibilities
B - Deserves Another Spin
C - Once Should Suffice