thePULSEQueens Of The Stone Age ~ …Like Clockwork
By Jason Savio
Josh Homme’s head is a scary place. On The Queens Of The Stone Age’s new album, …Like Clockwork, the band-leader and songwriter casts a dark shadow of observations and questions without leaving a safety net for the listener.
.…Like Clockwork begins with the sound of breaking glass, as if we’re gaining entry into somewhere we don’t belong. And what we discover inside is both haunting and beautiful in its sincerity. The “The Vampyre Of Time & Memory” finds Homme asking “Does anyone ever get this right? I feel no love,” over a melancholy piano melody. The brooding synth that underlies this simple query hints at the disdain in his hurt, though, and, as the album progresses, his fear gradually turns to anger.
The vengeful fantasy “Kalopsia” is unsettling in its malevolence and cynicism when Homme spits, “Oh, why the long face? You’ve got it all wrong / Forget the rat in the race, we’ll choke chain them all.” But that’s the charm of …Like Clockwork; Homme isn’t afraid to paint a portrait of the direct relation between alienation, pain and the evil it can spawn. His dark view of the world we live in ~ and the people who populate it ~ hits a nerve because it reflects the feelings most have but are too afraid to confess.
Not many albums have the ability to get under your skin in a way that is both new and uncomfortably familiar the way this one does. Daring and ambitious, …Like Clockwork is the best album of the year.
For more, visit qotsa.com.
Huntress ~ Starbound Beast
By Jennifer Russo
What’s not to be drawn to? Huntress is a metal band with a gorgeous blonde singer who has the ability to scream like the boys and sing like a siren, plus a band that is unique in its delivery, and yet, gives us everything we love about metal.
Though I enjoyed Huntress’ debut album, Spell Eater, I personally believe that the new release, Starbound Beast, has much more to offer and is overall a stronger display of the band’s capabilities. The album meshes the speed metal with the sultry and haunting quality that Huntress is flawless at combining. The band has shuffled around its lineup and added a new lead guitarist to the mix, creating the perfect blend where everyone is in the right place to create the sound that will launch this band upward in the metal ranks.
Vocalist Jill Janus said about the album, “Starbound Beast is the beginning of the evolution for Huntress. You can hear there’s more confidence in this album ~ the songwriting is better, the musicianship is also better. It is really exciting for us to come together as a band, focus and write an album a year ~ that is the goal right now. Once you choose to really live for your purpose, you have to abolish everything else. That’s why we are moving at such a quick rate and getting the opportunities we are. I am in a band with four other guys who absolutely feel the same way.”
The video for “Zenith,” the first single off the album, was recently unveiled ~ showing the artistry and creativity of the band, not only through its music but on-screen, as well. This trippy adventure, which brings together witches, aliens and the beast itself, is truly something to behold and is the visual brainchild of award-winning director Phil Mucci.
As a whole, this album offers 10 songs that are consistent, but not the same. The musicianship is complex and perfectly layered, brings in ’80s rock inspiration here and there throughout the songs and shows incredible versatility.
For more information on Huntress, its new album and upcoming tours (one with Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God that comes to Boston on Nov. 23), check out huntresskills.com.
