Queens of the Stone Age released their highly anticipated 8th studio album, "In Times New Roman…" through Matador. The album was recorded and mixed at Homme’s own Pink Duck studio, with additional recording at Shangri-La, and is produced by Queens of the Stone Age and mixed by Mark Rankin. The album is available across all digital platforms, as well as on vinyl and CD, with artwork and double LP gatefold packaging designed by long-time collaborator Boneface. The LP vinyl is available globally in black, green, red, silver, and blue.
What Worked
Fans of the band will welcome the return to big, deep 70s hard rock grooves as well as the emphasis on more atmospheric and psychedelic tinges. On tracks like "Time & Place," the band plays with exotic scales and tricky rhythms, while "Made to Parade" shuffles along on a gnarly blues-rock groove with unexpected rhythmic hiccups. Its at this point, when the second half of the album starts, that the band really starts to cook. Nasty, warbling guitar leads carry the intense "Carnavoyer," while the band explores an orchestral sound on "Sicily" that sounds like a descendant of Led Zeppelin's eclectic mid-career double album Physical Graffiti. Unsurprisingly, the album is filled with Homme's personal anguish, having gone through years of turmoil regarding a public custody battle with ex-wife Brody Dalle and a recently announced battle with cancer.
What Didn't Work
Fans of early "Queens" albums like "Rated R" or "Songs For The Deaf" might ask what happened to the concise, punchy singles like "No One Knows" or "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret." While the radio anthems might be less apparent, the band trade the sound for lusher, more rhythm-oriented tracks that take more time to develop.
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