by Taylor Kingsbury
Staff Writer
Very few bands can live up to massive amounts of media hype, but Queens of the Stone Age deserves every bit of attention they are getting.
Since the Queens formed out of the ruins of Kyuss, they have produced powerful but largely ignored music.
It has taken several years and a couple of near-hits, but it seems as if people are finally starting to figure out just how great this band is.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as the Queens’ latest opus is a great starting point for new recruits.
“Songs For the Deaf” finds the Queens abandoning the experimentation of their last record and just rocking extremely hard.
Songs like “Sky Is Falling” are constructed from thick guitar walls you could get lost in. On the peppier side of the spectrum, it is impossible not to rock along with the steady bounce of “No One Knows.”
With Dave Grohl behind the drum kit, the Queens’ sound is bigger and louder than ever. Though still currently fronting Foo Fighters, the former Nirvana skinsman reiterates to us once again that he’s still the hardest hitting rock drummer since John Bonham. Grohl’s driving backbeats give the songs additional punch, and as a result this collection is the most focused and rewarding set the Queens have produced to date.
Forget about those silly bands with one word names. This is rock, and the Queens execute it with a flavor that is refreshing and distinctive.
“Songs For the Deaf” will own your CD player for quite a while. Every rock fan should give it a listen.
