The fifth album from Queens of The Stone Age is a bit of a mixed bag. A mish-mash of robotic and more traditional rock tunes, it could be argued that it’s trying to be too many things at once. You could, however, go with the old adage “variety is the spice of life”.

It begins well, the mechanical Turnin’ On The Screw builds from precise guitars and drums to a swirling mess underneath Josh Homme’s softest vocals. Sick, Sick, Sick, I’m Designer, Misfit Love and Battery Acid repeat this idea with varying levels of discord. Up until this point I’m pretty much with the album all the way. It’s when we get to Make It Wit Chu that a spanner drops into the works.

So, Make It Wit Chu;a re-recording of a Desert Sessions song and the album’s stand out track for many. Not that I want to upset the many but why? It’s a reasonable bluesy rock track. Josh Homme does his best Chris Cornell impression, then it ends. Suddenly an album that was gritty, abrasive and actually quite interesting seems to have run out of ideas.

The album’s real stand out track 3’s & 7’s follows with a great chorus riff and all the pop sensibilities that line QOTSA’s hits. But it’s too late, after this, Era Vulgaris staggers through five more flabby songs almost unnoticed.

Era Vulgaris is certainly worth checking out if you’re a Queens Of The Stone Age fan but you may find that the opposing styles on the album leave you skipping half of the tracks.

Label: Interscope
Website: www.qotsa.com
Release date: 11th June 2007

Tracklist:

1. Turnin’ On the Screw
2. Sick, Sick, Sick
3. I’m Designer
4. Into The Hollow
5. Misfit Love
6. Battery Acid
7. Make It Wit Chu
8. 3’s & 7’s
9. Suture Up Your Future
10. River In The Road
11. Run, Pig, Run
12. Running Joke
13. Era Vulgaris