The details. This was a promo CD I was sent. Yeah, I know you don’t need to know that, but, well I’ve made a big deal about trying to be honest about things in this zine. And up to know I’ve made a deal about this zine being based around things that I buy. Things are changing a little as I’m now on some mailshot lists to get the promo CDs. So this is where it starts. It doesn’t affect what I write, or how I review anything. Just want to put the record straight from the start here.

And one reason for saying that, is that I’d have been unlikely to have bought this. I was never a major Kyuss fan. Have one of the albums, but that was it.

But enough of that, this is Queens of The Stone Age. Throwback to the 70s? Yeah, definitely. That can be dodgy sometimes, but sometimes it can work, depends on what you’re trying to capture and how. This kinda works. There are some boring moments on there, maybe that’s the 70s again, cos let’s face it, there was some real self-indulgent crap produced then. But although it may be a throwback, I don’t really see too much of a Sabbath thing going on here. I can’t say I’ve ever really listened to the Rolling Stones and those types of bands, but I’d imagine that there was perhaps some kind of relationship between them and QOTSA. And the vocals of Josh Homme are intriguing. The high pitched nature works as a contrast to the music, which actually works well. But I get the feeling that after say a couple of albums of the same, it would get a bit tedious, like there’s not enough strength and variety there.

Still, tracks like opener Regular John and Walking on the Sidewalks work well. Based around a simple riff and a spartan arrangement, it almost feels like Korn and their ilk never happened. And maybe it’s that which has dragged me back to this album on more occasions than I expected. It’s one of those, “yeah, it’s ok I guess” ones which for some inexplicable reason you find yourself reaching for time and again.