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Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) is an interesting band because each of their albums is like a new experience; Songs for the Deaf is very hard rock, Villains is more dance rock, and Lullabies to Paralyze is softer, stoner rock. Despite this, I'd say QOTSA is a stoner rock band since that is their most common sound. The band is led by Josh Homme who also is a founding member of Kyuss and the Eagles of Death Metal. Homme formed the band after the breakup of his previous band, Kyuss, and a short tour with Screaming Trees. The band started named Gamma Ray, and released an EP of the same name, but after being threatened with a lawsuit by a German power metal band, Gamma Ray, they changed the band's name to "Queens of the Stone Age". They took this name from a nickname given to Kyuss by the band's producer, Chris Goss; "Kings would be too macho. The Kings of the Stone Age wear armor and have
axes and wrestle. The Queens of the Stone Age hang out with the Kings
of the Stone Age's girlfriends when they wrestle ... Rock should be
heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls. That way
everyone's happy and it's more of a party. Kings of the Stone Age is too
lopsided."
I don't really have much to say about Lullabies to Paralyze's album cover, I kind of have a neutral opinion about it. It appears to be a little girl holding a makeshift lantern made from a jar with a candle in it in a dark room. There also is some distortion or smoke around her. The cover kind of works because this is an image I might associate with lullabies, since it is dark like nighttime, and the songs on this album are slow and haunting. However, the cover is very boring, and I wish there was more besides just the girl in the image.
Lullabies to Paralyze, in my opinion, is QOTSA's best album (or maybe tied for first with Songs for the Deaf), although it seems like people either love or hate it; I've seen people say this is best album, and I've seen people say this is the worst album. I think the reason why some people don't like this one is because it's much more slow and woozy sounding than a lot of their other albums, and is missing the masterful bass playing and back up singing of Nick Oliveri, who had just been kicked out of the band. In addition, this album came right after one of the band's most universally loved albums, Songs for the Deaf, which I think resulted in a lot of fans getting disappointed when they didn't get another album like that. Despite this, I like Lullabies to Paralyze is a great album due to its haunting stoner melodies, hard beating riffs, and catchy songs. My favorite songs on this album are "Everybody Knows That You Are Insane," "Tangled Up in Plaid," "Burn the Witch," and "Little Sister."
"Everybody Knows That You Are Insane" is a kick-ass song with a cool meaning behind it. The song is about the fear of being perceived as crazy by those around you. This results in crippling self doubt, causing you to second guess all of your actions and emotions. You try to act normal, but you are paranoid that everybody knows you're insane. This song features cool whining guitars, a haunting melody and a cool chorus where driving guitars the singer shouts "everybody knows that you're insane."
"Tangled Up In Plaid" is a weird but good song. It starts out with a strange guitar riff that gives the song a kind of uneasy feeling. The chorus is also cool: "I could keep you all for myself\ I know\ You gotta be free\ So free yourself." I am not positive, but I heard that this song is directed towards the old bassist, Nick Oliveri, who, like I said earlier, left the band before this album was released.
"Burn the Witch" is a pretty strait forward song about the Salem Witch Trials. Throughout this song there are swinging guitar riffs and interesting vocals. I also like this song because it sounds cool and tells a story that is kind of creepy. For those who don't know, the witch trials started when some girls took part in an African ceremony with a slave and were accused of witchcraft. The girls in turn claimed they weren't witches and were being controlled by real witches who lived in town. This resulted in a chain of accusations and witch trials. This song tells the story from the perspective of one of those original girls.
By far my favorite song on this album, and my favorite Queens of the Stone Age song in general, is "Little Sister." This song has an awesome rocking beat and catchy melody. Throughout the song there is a cowbell going that helps bring in some tension, which is released in a wave during the chorus. The chorus has awesome, overwhelming guitars, and a cool electronic guitar riff that happens afterwards. I'm not completely sure what this song is about, but I think it is about a guy who is in love with a girl, but he struggles to get her to come out of her shell, and let him see her true self.
Some people love this album, and some don't, but I personally love it, and I recommend everyone to give it a listen.
I don't really have much to say about Lullabies to Paralyze's album cover, I kind of have a neutral opinion about it. It appears to be a little girl holding a makeshift lantern made from a jar with a candle in it in a dark room. There also is some distortion or smoke around her. The cover kind of works because this is an image I might associate with lullabies, since it is dark like nighttime, and the songs on this album are slow and haunting. However, the cover is very boring, and I wish there was more besides just the girl in the image.
Lullabies to Paralyze, in my opinion, is QOTSA's best album (or maybe tied for first with Songs for the Deaf), although it seems like people either love or hate it; I've seen people say this is best album, and I've seen people say this is the worst album. I think the reason why some people don't like this one is because it's much more slow and woozy sounding than a lot of their other albums, and is missing the masterful bass playing and back up singing of Nick Oliveri, who had just been kicked out of the band. In addition, this album came right after one of the band's most universally loved albums, Songs for the Deaf, which I think resulted in a lot of fans getting disappointed when they didn't get another album like that. Despite this, I like Lullabies to Paralyze is a great album due to its haunting stoner melodies, hard beating riffs, and catchy songs. My favorite songs on this album are "Everybody Knows That You Are Insane," "Tangled Up in Plaid," "Burn the Witch," and "Little Sister."
"Everybody Knows That You Are Insane" is a kick-ass song with a cool meaning behind it. The song is about the fear of being perceived as crazy by those around you. This results in crippling self doubt, causing you to second guess all of your actions and emotions. You try to act normal, but you are paranoid that everybody knows you're insane. This song features cool whining guitars, a haunting melody and a cool chorus where driving guitars the singer shouts "everybody knows that you're insane."
"Tangled Up In Plaid" is a weird but good song. It starts out with a strange guitar riff that gives the song a kind of uneasy feeling. The chorus is also cool: "I could keep you all for myself\ I know\ You gotta be free\ So free yourself." I am not positive, but I heard that this song is directed towards the old bassist, Nick Oliveri, who, like I said earlier, left the band before this album was released.
"Burn the Witch" is a pretty strait forward song about the Salem Witch Trials. Throughout this song there are swinging guitar riffs and interesting vocals. I also like this song because it sounds cool and tells a story that is kind of creepy. For those who don't know, the witch trials started when some girls took part in an African ceremony with a slave and were accused of witchcraft. The girls in turn claimed they weren't witches and were being controlled by real witches who lived in town. This resulted in a chain of accusations and witch trials. This song tells the story from the perspective of one of those original girls.
By far my favorite song on this album, and my favorite Queens of the Stone Age song in general, is "Little Sister." This song has an awesome rocking beat and catchy melody. Throughout the song there is a cowbell going that helps bring in some tension, which is released in a wave during the chorus. The chorus has awesome, overwhelming guitars, and a cool electronic guitar riff that happens afterwards. I'm not completely sure what this song is about, but I think it is about a guy who is in love with a girl, but he struggles to get her to come out of her shell, and let him see her true self.
Some people love this album, and some don't, but I personally love it, and I recommend everyone to give it a listen.
Track List:
1.) This Lullaby
2.) Medication
3.) Everybody Knows That You are Insane
4.) Tangled Up in Plaid
5.) Burn the Witch
6.) In My Head
7.) Little Sister
8.) I Never Came
9.) Someone's in the Wolf
10.) The Blood is Love
11.) Skin on Skin
12.) Broken Box
13.) You Got A Killer Scene There, Man...
14.) Long Slow Goodbye
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