Sept. 9, 2002 - University News: Queens of the Stone Age? Songs for the Dead
by Jeff Jarrett
As if the roads weren't treacherous enough, Queens of the Stone Age have unleashed their long-awaited driving record for us. It's the soundtrack for a dusty pick-up truck driving from Los Angeles to the Joshua Tree on a sunny afternoon. The first track is the brilliantly titled "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire," and it's incredible. Bassist Nick Oliveri kicks off the record with an assault of blood-curdling screams and pounding bass while Dave Grohl pummels his kit and Josh Homme touches everything up with power chords. By the time it's over, the breaks have gone out in the pick-up, and you have no choice but to go along for the ride.

And just when it looks like the road up ahead is closed, the Queens take the most brilliant of detours. "Another Love Song," clearly the most adventurous track on the record, takes us into camel-rock territory, boasting a triumphant middle-Eastern guitar line. As it fades out, the Queens get back onto the original path toward the final triumphant destination that is "Mosquito Song."

Songs for the Deaf is like a bottle of bourbon in that, after intake, you shouldn't get behind the wheel. Because after 60 minutes of the most brutal rock imaginable, you won't be thinking straight. The record will prompt you to drive your car off a cliff or perhaps collide with a brick wall at top speed. It's that mind blowing.

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