Sometimes a good album--even a particularly good album--can be a disappointment. In the case of Lullabies to Paralyze, the disappointment isn't that the songs aren't better or that the band isn't as good without the volatile Nick Oliveri playing bass. The songs are solid nearly front to back and the only musical presence that is missed is that of Dave Grohl on drums. No, the disappointment is that the CD doesn't feel like much of a move forward for a band whose first three albums all had singular, unique identities. Damned good is a step down from the greatness of Songs for the Deaf and Rated R, in particular.
It starts out well enough. The slow, precise "Lullaby" is a spare song, but when part-time vocalist Mark Lanegan starts singing, it becomes something much deeper. Lanegan’s voice has a transformative power, lulling the listener away from what could otherwise have been a tiny, cliché of a song. It also stands as the only surprise you’re likely to find on the disc.
"Medication" and "Everybody Knows That You're Insane" both drive the disc forward with aggressive rhythms and the kind of hard rock that is hard to find from Grammy-nominated, big-selling bands these days. They both stand as good, but typical, efforts from the band; the songs are performed well, all the ingredients are there, but it's hard to escape the sense that we've heard these tunes before.
A song like the slower, but wonderfully titled "Tangled Up in Plaid," is the reason that it would be a crime to neglect to buy the album. A song like "Burn the Witch" is the reason that Lullabies still comes close to being a classic.
With Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top adding a touch of Texas blues and Lanegan providing a dry-throat scrape to back up Josh Homme’s high and clear falsetto, is the best song on the album. It exists in a place not far from Led Zeppelin, but belonging entirely to the Queens of the Stone Age. Anyone with a love for rock and roll will be singing along at the end—"Burn the witch, burn to ash and bone." Demented, sure, but catchy as hell.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
This is one of the more informative reviews I have read for this album.
Lanegan is still the best (and only) reason I buy QOTSA albums. Maybe I will just go to iTunes to get 'his' song.
2 - Chris Beaumont
Nice review, I am looking forward to giving it a spin.
3 - zombyboy
DJ, while I wouldn't agree that Lanegan is the only reason to buy QOTSA albums, I have to say that he's still my favorite reason.
Great artist and a nicer guy than I expected him to be.
Chris, thanks, I do think you'll enjoy the CD. Check it out on NME's site if you get a chance. Definitely take "Burn the Witch" for a spin.
4 - SFC Ski
I loved Rated R, but the follow-up was less enjoyable. I will sample this offering before I plunk down the hard-earned cash. Somehow, without Nick I think I will not like QOTSA as much.
5 - zombyboy
The only thing I really missed from Nick was the screaming. No one screams like Nick.
But since I really enjoyed Songs for the Deaf, my opinion might not be one that matches yours.
6 - Ellie
I never wanted to buy this album as soon as I heard Nick was out. I then heard Little Sister and decided that I really didn't want to buy this album. The vocals sound God awful and the guitar solo at the end is utter tripe. Maybe it's a dequired taste, but I'm not risking this 14 year old's £10 allowance on it. And Zomby, minus the screaming and you just can't kick off an album, I agree.
7 - zombyboy
I think a lot of people felt the same way, Ellie. This album doesn't seem to have captured the same excitement or done nearly as well as Songs for the Deaf.
It's really a shame. I thought they were set up to break through to bigger things.