Calliope Music Rapid Reviews
Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman...
Stoner Rock Greats, Queens of the Stone Age Rip Open Calamity through Guzzling Alternative Rock and Sinister Glam Rock.
Six years removed from their last full length LP, QOTSA enters the 2020s with a ripping affair of raw Hard Rock, complemented by front man, Josh Homme's nihilistic theatrics. Wrenching guitar bombinates over battering kicks and lashing cymbals, forging blustering instrumentals of grime and soot. Blistering bass guitar adds to whirling garage production, while background strings and layered harmonies create a wistful juxtaposition. Ticking triangles, broken glass effects and thespian bass drum aid in building bustling rhythms, before dynamic chord changes swiftly introduce buoyant refrains. This marriage between clattering cadences and floating harmonies is what makes QOTSA the champion of Stoner Rock that they have been for the last two decades.
In Times New Roman... sees Homme come face to face with vicissitude, as lyrics focus on his ugly divorce, being diagnosed with cancer and the fall of America. In the final track, 'Straight Jacket Fitting,' Homme compares America to the fall of the Roman Empire, using the symbol of a straight jacket to represent the constricting aspects that both regimes place on their people. However, not all the blame is put on the government or some third party operator, rather Homme places the power in the hands of the individual, stating:
"Wake up, we need you
No more daydreaming
Don't fall sleep now...
To face down your demons, you've got to free them
To seize all your demons, carpe demon"
Homme emphasizes the influence of the people, despite such harsh conditions and societal corrosion. He ends the track by pleading to be healed, sacrificing his freedom with the line,
"Good dogs lay down"
These lines act as a snapshot of the project's overarching themes, where Homme accepts the misfortunes and hideousness of the world, but holds on to the hope that it may be better in the future, even if he won't be around to see it happen.
While not every musical and lyrical development share the same depth as on 'Straight Jacket Fitting,' QOTSA still incurs a demanding grunge narrative. Some progressions become stale with repeated blared chords and stagnant leads, but they all ultimately steer the record forward into a pungent Rock fling. Whether it's through afflicting guitar play or climactic vocals, In Times New Roman... hits the mark as a proficient plunge into the filth of a trying world.
Best Tracks: Obscenery -- Paper Machete -- Carnavoyeur -- Sicily -- Emotion Sickness -- Straight Jacket Fitting
7/10
See Website For More Reviews: Calliope Music
Comments
Post a Comment