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Album of the Week: Queens of the Stone Age, 'Villains'

Queens of the Stone Age, 'Villains'
Queens of the Stone Age, 'Villains'Courtesy of Matador
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by Brian Oake

September 04, 2017

For the first new Queens of the Stone Age album in four years, frontman Josh Homme once again reminds fans that he is someone who refuses to make the same album twice.

The band's last album, 2013's …Like Clockwork, was a stark emotional masterpiece, a sprawling, brooding rock odyssey into the depths of the human soul. But for the new release, Villains, the band are ready to party. When it was announced that Queens had decided to go with pop supe-producer Mark Ronson for their newest effort, many longtime fans of the band expressed serious concern on social media. How could Ronson, a producer best known for his work with Adele and Bruno Mars, possibly do right by one of the hardest rocking bands in America? Let me say the result is a punchy, riff-heavy celebration, and some of the sexiest dance-rock released in recent memory.

Make no mistake, this is a Queens of the Stone Age record. The classic buzz-saw guitars, menacing swagger and their signature brand of dark magic are all over Villians.

Resources

Queens of the Stone Age - Official Site