Queens Of The Stone Age – ...Like Clockwork - 2XLP

For their first album in six years, Joshua Homme's mighty Queens Of The Stone Age called back classic members Dave Grohl and Joey Castillo on drums, and Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan on vocals.  In addition, some big names came in to perform: Elton John, Trent Reznor, Alex turner (Arctic Monkeys), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), James Lavelle (U.N.K.L.E.) and more.  Of course the current lineup of Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman and Dean Fertita also feature throughout. 

...Like Clockwork contains Homme's most intense, personal and beautiful songwriting to date.  While the thunder of Queens past is still evident (especially in lead single "My God Is the Sun") there are a number of gorgeous ballads - meditations on time passing, the struggle to create art, and the nearness of mortality. 

The music lives up to the album's lyrical and conceptual ambitions, with some of Homme's finest guitar work to date, at times recalling past greats such as Brian May or George Harrison, at other times uniquely his own. The rhythm section starts and stops on a dime, and in some of the more complex songs, the ensemble playing is virtuosic - but never sterile. 

The striking album artwork, imagery and intro animations are by young British artist Boneface, working closely with Homme.

A1        Keep Your Eyes Peeled
A2        I Sat By The Ocean
A3        The Vampyre Of Time And Memory
B1        If I Had A Tail
B2        My God Is The Sun
B3        Kalopsia
C1        Fairweather Friends
C2        Smooth Sailing
D1        I Appear Missing
D2        ...Like Clockwork