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ALBUM REVIEW: "Villains" by Queens of the Stone Age

   It's obviously taken me far to long to get into Queens of the Stone Age, because Villans, my first experience of the band, is a damn good rock album. After a subdued intro on opener "Feet Don't Fail Me" the first of many killer riffs lets rip, and it's glorious. Infused with some distinctly 80s-sounding synths, the build up is pitch perfect as the simple but effective groove takes hold, complete with a wah-pedal on the bass guitar adding a funk edge. The production sounds a lot like classic Stones or Zeppelin, giving it a homey, familiar sound beneath the toe-tapping and riffage. The band aren't afraid to branch out and experiment, either, with a number of songs breaking the six minute mark with winding, linear structures and proggy passages. One of the things I love about the band's sound is the variety in guitar tones without loss of cohesion - there are so many funky sounds and odd moments across the album, but they never feel out of place or jarring ("The Way You Used To" is a great example of this). As a huge fan of the fuzz it's also great to hear that warmth and grungy filth all over Villains. There really isn't a weak moment on here - the tight 9 song track-listing has evidently trimmed all the fat - and you can take your pick of which of these tracks will get a festival crowd moving. My only gripe with the album is to do with the vocal performance - for the most part it's great, but I guess after a few runs through a lack of dynamic variety or excitement became more apparent to me. This might not be a problem for a lot of people, considering how tastefully written the melodies are throughout, but for me it started to become a slight issue. Overall I was completely drawn by Villains, and it'll be on my summer playlists for sure.

   Favourite Tracks: Feet Don't Fail Me, The Way You Used To, Fortress, Un-Reborn Again and The Evil Has Landed

   Rating: A

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