Queens Of The Stone Age HHV Records 26 Items

Jam Sessions in the California Desert

In the early 2000s, everyone agreed: alternative rock had to be revived. The vibrant scene of Palm Desert in California proved to be the perfect breeding ground for the stoner riffs that the Queens of the Stone Age would tour the world with just a few years later, establishing themselves as the unstoppable force they are today. The band, led by vocalist Josh Homme, brought back the blues and hard rock of the 70s in a new form to concert halls, receiving seven Grammy nominations along the way. With their hefty guitars and hypnotic melodies, they continue to prove that rock ‘n’ roll is far from dead. Before their massive success, the members established themselves in the local Palm Desert scene, where nightly jam sessions in the desert would turn into drug-fueled parties. In the early 90s, Homme co-founded the band Kyuss and recorded a number of albums before the band’s dissolution in 1995, leading Homme to dive into his new project: the Queens of the Stone Age.

Distorted guitars and sonic explosions

The Seattle-based indie label Loosegroove took on their self-titled debut album in 1998, and with If Only, the desert group even reached radio stations. Concerts with bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against The Machine were a must, and the so-called Desert Sessions continued to take place – a side project of Homme’s, and according to him, “the longest-running mix tape in existence,” where renowned guests unite to experiment together. The Queens climbed into the top 40 of the charts in 2000 with the track The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret, which earned them a new legion of fans for their second LP, Rated R, and their bassist Nick Oliveri’s completely naked performance at the Brazilian Rock in Rio festival gave them even more attention – he was arrested. Several lineup changes eventually brought them together with Foo Fighters founder and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, with whom they recorded Songs For The Deaf and cemented their status as alternative legends – this was even topped in 2004 by their successful album Lullabies To Paralyze. Endlessly distorted guitars and sonic explosions mark the territory of the wild group: “more David Lynch with every mile,” says Homme.

Without fear of reinvention

There is no hesitation on the part of the band leader when it comes to experiments: In 2007, Era Vulgaris showcased the band brilliantly chaotic as never before and encouraged fans in the CD booklet to share the songs on all possible platforms. After a near-death experience during a medical operation, Homme spent several months in the hospital and fell into depression – an experience he processed in the challenging album …Like Clockwork, which was released in 2013 by the indie giant Matador and became the band’s first number one album in the USA. Following Homme’s production for Iggy Pops album Post Pop Depression, the band started working on the album Villains, for which they enlisted the legendary producer Mark Ronson – who had already worked in the studio with artists like Amy Winehouse, Adele, Miley Cyrus and Bruno Mars. This naturally brought a more dancefloor-oriented sound than before but strengthened the band, especially within their own niche, and showcased them with full clarity about where they are heading and where they stand out. In 2019, Homme and his guests followed up with a new Desert Session, and the eagerly awaited Queens comeback In Times New Roman… in 2023 arrived with fresh ideas and the usual dose of melodic madness. The Queens of the Stone Age hardly fear reinvention.