Homme & Friends Strike Again

Is it something in the desert air? Or is it the desert sun that radiates with musical originality? Nevertheless, Josh Homme and friends have coined a steadily progressive and innovative style of rock, making Queens of the Stone Age one of the most respected bands in music today. But like many famous rock bands before them, they quickly realized that the road to success isn’t as smooth as one might think. Take for instance the ever-revolving lineup of band members, most notably the recent departure of co-founding bassist Nick Oliveri. But this is Homme’s show now, who masterminded past successful projects like the Eagles of Death Metal and the indie-favorite Desert Sessions’ series. Now Homme manages to build upon their past successes with Lullabies to Paralyze.Quite simply put, there was much speculation as to how Lullabies to Paralyze would stack up to the top-selling, mainstream radio-friendly Songs for the Deaf. Homme, who enlisted the help of friends Brody Dalle (Distillers) and Shirley Manson (Garbage), refreshingly puts musical ingenuity first. Indeed, the album weans and winds through an impressive amalgamation of experimental creativity; from the eerily bizarre “You Got A Killer Scene There, Man…” to the straightforward rock preening of “Little Sister.” Yep – the band has come a long ways since being booed off the stage at Ozzfest, thanks largely in part to the now permanent guitar work of Troy Van Leeuwen (Failure, A Perfect Circle). Lullabies is every bit as musically interesting as Songs for the Deaf or Rated R, and as long as Homme is at the helm, the band looks to have an impressively diverse career ahead.