Era Vulgaris

Each new Queens Of The Stone Age's album is a peculiar surprise

Queens Of The Stone Age were always famous for their extremely unstable lineup. If we'll try to make a rough calculation of all ex-members the total number, including present musicians, will be approximately equal to 20 persons. Add a crowd of those who were just collaborating during record sessions and concerts, they are not a few either, and you'll be able to picture what kind of a process runs under the guidance of unchallenged leader of the band Joch Homm. Each new Queens Of The Stone Age's album is a peculiar surprise, you can never know who would appear on their record next time. But that's the way this band lives. Inviting and discharging people Homm is somehow keeps his band in a constant creative readiness, as he himself claimed in one of his early interviews: "It really is more of a musical experiment... It keeps moving and reinventing itself. That way we never get painted into a corner". And he, at that, managed to elaborate his own recognizable sound and style, which he still cultivates. In this year Homm&Co released their new album Era Vulgaris that will absorb attention of all rock music lovers again.

Era Vulgaris caries a certain part of adventurism

Just like Queens Of The Stone Age's four previous discs Era Vulgaris is a pretty intricate album. There is no precise definition of the stylistics, it is something between psychedelic rock, metal and grunge plus specific, half-baked, near-garage sound. In comparison with the previous disc Lullabies To Paralyze, which was a little bit sullen and reserved, Era Vulgaris sounds much bolder and even cocky; there is a certain part of adventurism so characteristic for Queens' early records. The first tracks are classic Queens Of The Stone Age pieces – savage riffing, low-frequency heaviness and rumble of basement drums. Sick, Sick, Sick, in particular, is the first single and one of the most fast and aggressive songs of the album. In fact, Era Vulgaris contains a pretty diverse material; there is a good share of softer tracks. Listen to Make It Wit Chu, this song sounds really soothingly after the sonic attack of Battery Acid. And even though this is definitely the most atypical song of Queens it contains a huge part of the band's essential elements, this is a peculiar mixture of rock, blues, bogie and motor energy of rhythm section. Yet, nevertheless, the most exemplifying song here is, probably, Into The Hollow. It simultaneously has both new and old features of the band – a very worthy, melodic and rocky variant of Queens.

Josh Homm keeps his music fresh

Overall, Era Vulgaris (common era - lat.) is a slightly chaotic, tough, very specific at times but always unbelievably interesting album. The band sounds very harmonious, the parties are mostly quite simple but in the same time one can feel a scrupulous songwriting approach in them. Guitar solos sometimes remind you classic hard rock a la Led Zeppelin, bass continuously gives out low impulses and drums ram the rhythm methodically. In a word, Era Vulgaris is a real classic of modern rock music, a solid and professionally made album, which still carries a feeling of musical novelty. Following a longstanding tradition Joch Homm invited few detached musicians to take part in the record sessions, in particular Julian Casablancas from The Strokes and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. But honestly speaking their presence is hardly ever perceptible. And probably this is that very feature where Homm's talent discloses itself. Managing this phenomenon called Queens Of The Stone Age he amalgamates peculiarities of many artists into one whole and then spray it atop and inside his songs thus keeping his music fresh and achieving perfect results.