Queens Of The Stone Age - In Times New Roman…

If you glance at the track listing for the eighth studio album from Queens of the Stone Age, it’s not hard to surmise ‘In Times New Roman…’ won’t be an upbeat beacon of positivity. With words like ‘Machete’, ‘Negative’, ‘Straight Jacket’, ‘Peephole’, ‘Voyeur’, and ‘Sickness’ scattered across the ten songs - it’s not a stretch to assume QOTSA are bringing their moody, dark rock back to the forefront.

And you’d be right. ‘In Times New Roman…’ is by far Queens of the Stone Age’s most direct and angry record in years. Their sound remains instantly recognisable: the fuzzy guitar, the buzzy bass, the echoey off-kilter drums, some time signature fun, and of course, the frontman’s iconic vocal tapestry, from whispers to falsetto.

On albums past, Queens of the Stone Age have always made an ambitious and significant leap away from what came before. From the masterpiece ‘Lullabies to Paralyze’ came ‘Era Vulgaris’, perhaps the ‘Physical Graffiti’ of their catalogue. Then ‘…Like Clockwork’ was followed by ‘Villains’, where the group brought in superproducer Mark Ronson to produce a playful, dancier Queens.

But on ‘In Times New Roman…’, the leap is less of a daring stab at new ground and more a stripped-back defiance. Josh has historically transformed his eerie, hard rock sound into radio-friendly smash hits with the help of a catchy melody, a rare and challenging balance. Here, however, the melodies are less sprightly, more gnarly and rough. ‘In Times New Roman…’ delivers more of a cathartic experience than a meticulous songwriting process.

The emphasis is on loud, raw, bare, and unpolished sounds that correlate to the chaotic and emotional world surrounding the band in recent years. The clever playfulness that infused their past work is gone and to be replaced with an angry stare. Take, for example, ‘Paper Machete’, which makes reference to 2005 single ‘Little Sister’, a driving three-chord progression that wastes no time. However, this time, there is no wailing guitar melody placed on top to turn it into the Top Twenty hit its predecessor became. There’s a restraint, a concentration on moving forward quickly. The lyrics here (and very present across the album) are pissed off and blunt: “Now I know you’d use anything, anyone / To make yourself look clean / So long, my love is dead.”

There are further breadcrumbs from the past: ‘Sicily’ is a classic stomp, and the album closes with a quintessential extended track in ‘Straight Fitting Jacket’. But the record’s highlight sits smack-dab in the middle with ‘Made To Parade’, designed to give a hungry QOTSA fan all its food groups: a fun tight groove with the rawness and large chorus complete with memorable vocal hook. It borrows from the rest of the album to make its most prominent sound.

Where does ‘In Times New Roman…’ leave us? What does it mean for the band and its trajectory? How does this alter the legacy of a band with its own unique perch in the rock landscape? The record doesn’t signal an answer to any question, and that’s the point. It stays in the moment; emotionally cleansing, paying angry tribute to the pain of the past, and with its attention turned to nothing more than the here and now.