Lullabies to Paralyze

by

Queens of the Stone Age

Edit

The last album by the Queens of the Stone Age was "Songs for the Deaf," a frenetic collection of the hardest kind of rock. It was a thrilling, visceral experience, not one soon forgotten. Then nude bassist Nick Oliveri departed from the band, taking the wilder edge of the band with him. Oh, what would become of the Queens of the Stone Age?

Well, if "Lullabies to Paralyze" is any indication, then they are doing fine. This album relies on Josh Homme, and it's stripped down to... well, not down to the bare bones, but some very strong, lean sinew. The albums opens with a little acoustic ballad, "Lullaby," which starts things off on a strong footing.

From there on, things get stranger -- fast paced songs that just keep speeding up, ominous buildups, and nightmarish undertones.There are moments of quieter catchiness -- "Little Sister" seems perfect for the album's first single. And a few tracks feel a bit like filler. But overall, "Lullabies" is very much in the flavour of the Queens' second album, "Rated R." Only darker and somehow more whimsical.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Josh Homme gets to rule in this one. Truth be told, he ruled all through the Desert Sessions, Kyuss, and now he sits in the middle of the Queens of the Stone Age, like a sinister-but-not-evil mastermind. Oliveri's manic style and gimmicks are gone, and in their place is steady, dark rock'n'roll that takes strange and unexpected twists.

It's not a concept album, but it feels that way -- the mood gets generally creepier as "Lullabies" goes on. Fuzzy guitars, dark metallic riffs, and eerie harmonies get a few unusual flourishes, such as that broken music box. And Homme's vocals blend into the songs like another instrument -- great stuff. It only emphasizes how central he is to the band's unique sound.

Queens of the Stone Age seemed to be endangered when Oliveri departed, but "Lullabies to Paralyze" shows that the band is just fine. Not quite perfect, but a solid creation.

First of all, lets say that this is a great record. the problem is: this is a QOTSA record, and there's not enough greatness here for the standards QOTSA use to deliver. Why? Because there are two problems. The little problem is that youre gonna hear Mark Lanegan only on the first track (which happens to be the most irrelevant track of the CD); and the big problem is that Nick Oliveri is not with the band anymore, which means a great lack of power and attitude, when you compare "Lullabies...." with previous QOTSA offerings. I think one of the best things about QOTSA is diversity, and Homme and Oliveri have always been the two halfs of the whole. Getting just one half results in a darker, less-inspired, straight record. On the other hand, you'll only hear Homme's voice here, and you'll note that he's tryin to sound different from one song to another, but thats not QOTSA at all, specially when such great songs like "Tension Head" or "Hangin Tree" come to your mind. To tell you the truth, this CD sounds more like "The lost diaries of Josh Homme", rather than a new QOTSA record. But dont get me wrong: there are a bunch of great songs here ("Little Sister", "Medication", "Everybody knows that you're insane", or the ultra-catching "In my head"), but, as I said before, not great enough, if you are a TRUE fan of QOTSA, not just a fan of Homme. I respect al the 5 and 4 stars reviews around but, even admitting that I use to hear the record a lot, I have to be honest with myself. Let's just believe the odds sayin that Oliveri will rejoin the band soon. Let's just believe it ok?