New QOTSA

[Inconuucl]

I like it so far. Kinda surprised peeps are so bleh about it, especially here.

My problem is with the mix, I'm sure the songs will be total bangers live.

[infamousalien]

Initial impressions. Production is shit. The songs all kind of sound the same. Too many hand claps. What a bummer. First album of theirs I haven't liked upon first listen.

[MoreBeer]

First song, Feet Don't Fail Me, sounds like a Zep song off of Physical Graffiti mixed with a fugged up Ween solo.

[Harry_Manback]

Hmmm. It's grown on me a bit, but still not what I'd hoped for. Feet Don't Fail Me, Domesticated Animals, and The Evil Has Landed are all great tracks. The rest are mediocre aside from Hideaway...the first QOTSA song I actually have to skip.

[coldbrightsunlight]

Having listened to it now I don't really like it. Might try again to see if it's a grower but for now I don't think it's good

[popvulture]

I like it, but I feel like it's a bit of a letdown after Like Clockwork. I really wasn't a big fan of Era Vulgaris - it wasn't bad, but I just found it kinda half-ass feeling, still my least fave of the QOTSA albums. Imo the new one has a lot of the strength of songwriting that LC had (and needed), but the Ronson production kinda leaves it feeling a bit anemic. It's odd, because it's not thin... but just sort of mid focused and boring?

[Inconuucl]

Too much bass, the double the guitar part an octave down way too much, and to add further insult they fail to cut the lows of it to let the actual bass breath, resulting in way too much bottom end. THEN they compress the everliving fuck out of it until everything becomes a sonically tiring smoothie. It's a smoothie when QOTSA should sound crunchy and delicious.

Now I'm hungry.

[benjuro]

It's grown on me a tiny bit but all these criticisms are dead-on...already I end up skipping several of the tunes, and in addition to the problems with the overall mix this may be the first QOTSA record where I think the guitar tone absolutely sucks.

Such a bangin' rhythm section now, but jeez it sounds like Mikey Shoes and Jon Theodore are on tight leashes.

[D.o.S.]

Finally coming around to listening. It's on shuffle but so far I've heard Villains into Domesticated into Haunted House and this is rad.

I think if you realize/buy into the idea that Homme-led QOTSA (so every record except R and SFTD) have always been a not-so-secret Cramps cover band the record will make more sense.

[popvulture]

I definitely think it's a good record, but I think it could've been a lot better. The songwriting is there, but I just think the sound was tightened up in places to make it maybe a little more lean and economical in a pop sense; it's as though they trimmed all the wrong fat. I completely agree with the rhythm section being too reined in, and I've heard this comment echoed in a couple other places. Kind of dumbfounding to have such a powerful team on hand and not put them to better use.

[infamousalien]

I agree having Jon Theodore so restrained is a waste. I read that a lot of the guitars were recorded DI so that explains the sound. It's grown on me a bit but not much.

[actual]

Where'd you read that?

[infamousalien]

Where'd you read that?

http://www.guitarworld.com/artist-news-interviews/queen-stone-ages-josh-homme-talks-new-album-villains/31705?page=2

[benjuro]

I think if you realize/buy into the idea that Homme-led QOTSA (so every record except R and SFTD) have always been a not-so-secret Cramps cover band the record will make more sense.

[SquareWaveFuzz]

....aaaaand it's finally grown on me, good job really since I've got tickets to see them again in two weeks