Everything You Could Want

Two things came out of Queens of the Stone Age most critically successful album, Songs for the Deaf, a much broader fan base and their longest standing lineup. Add this to the advantageous Josh Homme and you have a receipt for a dynamic album built on Homme's enveloping song styling and a cohesive album that takes a grasp around you wrist and pulls you into its deep sound.

Members and Cohesion

Queens of the Stone Age commonly referred to as QOTSA or simply The Queens are a Heavy Rock band with a lineup that revolves more than a ferris wheel. Homme doesn't mind inviting people in to only play on an album or a tour, which leaves the door revolving for the constantly evolving sound that has characterized QOTSA over through the years. Lullabies to Paralyze the first album after frontman Josh Homme removed Nick Oliveri from the band. This marked the return of Josh to recording the bass parts, which he did on their first self titled album. It also leaves Josh as the last standing original member of the band.

This album is set apart from the rest of QOTSA's work by the simple fact of the members working together for an extended period of time. During the long touring period after Songs for the Death, members Troy Van Leeuwen, Joey Castillo, and Alain Johannes were added for touring, this became the eventual lineup for the LtP album. With an unprecedented familiarity and great Night to Mourning concept the album engulfs you, and is much more than the song by song scrambling over a radio dial that is Songs for the Deaf. It would have been very easy for Josh to simply write another album like StfD (Songs for the Deaf), but he didn't take the cowardly way out and wrote an album that seamless flows beat to beat, minute by minute, song to song from beginning to end.

Guest

Because the Queens employ so many different unique acts and dear friends the album wouldn’t be what it is without them. Mark Lanegan a contributor to the last two albums returns with his deep carving voice. ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons provides his worn voice. Brody Dalle, Josh Homme’s long time girl even lends a hand too. There are many more, but I think you get the picture. These people help develop the sound that is constantly changing and stepping outside of the box.

Music

The album opens with, This Lullaby, a softly articulated sound of Homme picking his acoustic guitar and Mark Lanegan’s deep rough haunting voice somberly singing over Homme’s guitar. I’m usually one of the thinking that having an intro track, like This Lullaby, is a throw away track, this is rather far from truth. This Lullaby is a carefully crafted song that sets the tone for anticipation and excitement awaiting you around the next turn, but before you have time to think This Lullaby is over and Medication’s wall of sounds strikes you down and your head begins to nod in approval. Medication is the essence of hard rock with its pounding guitar riffs and Homme’s driving lyrics capturing the raw energy that QOTSA fans enjoyed from Songs for the Deaf.

Everybody Knows That You Are Insane is the essential sound the of the album. It opens with bending guitar part that winds you down a deserted path into the dark forest which awaits. Homme’s voice is almost enchanting as it dimly tangles in the howling guitar part. As you get lost in Homme’s thoughts the chorus line blast through showcasing their Hard Rock Icon status and bring back memories of their previous albums. With this comes a dramatic shift into an almost dance like feel as guitar bounces back and forth across your ears. Homme’s voice rifles down the center and strikes you like an arrow. Tangled Up In Plaid has the feel of a twisted music box and is first real presences of the deep powerful bass. Homme exercises and unprecedented vocal range and backing hallow backing vocals unique to Lullabies to Paralyze. QOTSA have achieved much for the creative and vibrant guitar, ripping bass, and driving drums, but until LtP had done little in the way of Vocals, which Homme was cast into with bands conception. This album real rises above in this category and puts a twisted smile on your face as you realize that they can do everything.

Burn the Witch features Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top contributing vocals and guitar. The song has the innocence of a child burned by the callousness of the world captured by Gibbon’s gruff voice singing tainted lyrics of promises unfulfilled. The song has a drive that spirals in out only to gain clarity which it loses again. In My Head is a track lifted from one of Homme’s other projects, Dessert Sessions. It is a synth driven love song with drowning away behind Homme’s delightfully cool voice. Unlike many of their other songs on the album which grow and retract, hide and chase, this one is constantly chugging at you. It has delightful moans from Homme which speak to his appeal.

Little Sister is the first single from the album and pounding hard rock masterpiece. It just so happens to a misfit from the Songs for the Death session, but it ties in the album nicely. It opens with a hardy cowbell and edgy guitar riff. Little Sister really speaks to leaps and bounds Homme has done in improving his vocal abilities. However, the focal point of the song is his guitar solo, which has become the apparent sound I will always define as uniquely QOTSA.

As I spoke of earlier the album has a night to morning feel and Little Sister is the pinnacle of the night, the climax of the party. After this album begins to wind down, the clicking of I Never Came begins and has the feel of a leaving song. It carefully portrays the unfinished business that will have to wait for another day. Someone’s in the Wolf is a dark powerful song that sinks its teeth into you. It almost jumps out of nowhere following I Never Came. It has the deep edgy sound from the beginning of the album, but now the vocals seem more distant and faded. The song is one that is successful because of its flow with the rest of the album. On a more disconnected album this song would fall flat, but it has its own little hole hallowed how that sucks you in.

The Blood is Love and Skin on Skin follow and have distinctive QOTSA feel. Begining mildly, but becoming punchy bass driven songs. A wailing guitar waffles across the air distilling any sense of fear. Homme continues to pound his way towards vocal invulnerability. Broken Box is one of the final tracks on the album, but it sure doesn’t act like one. This beat driven song features the colorful Homme voice along his down to earth almost comical lyrical styling.

When the album finally ends with Long Slow Goodbye, you have completed a journey of twist and turns, but you are better for it. You feel as if something has stirred inside you grown from the tangles and you had been trying to clear away from so long. However, the second the journey has ended you are ready to begin it again.

Final Thoughts

Lullabies to Paralyze is a complete album. This creates a dramatic feel that you can almost can reach out and touch. If you are a QOTSA fan these vibes will carry you through the album. However, if you are not digging the album songs like Someone’s in the Wolf and Skin on Skin will seem shallow and will cast you on the banks feeling cheated and wanting more. The Album is definitely worth the trip. It is hard to deny the powerful design and intricate ideas tied together by the down to earth Homme. This is an album that you will fall in love with every piece of and listen to time and time again as a instant classic.