Released: 2017

Genres: Alternative Rock, Hard Rock

The Musiquarium’s Villains Review Score: 8.5 out of 10

After surviving death, which eventually led to the phenomenal …Like Clockwork, as well as making an album with Iggy Pop in 2016 (alongside fellow Queens of the Stone Age member Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders), Josh Homme was back on top of the world and as relevant as ever.

On Villains, Homme takes the band into a boogie/dance rock direction, though it still very much contains traces of darkness — after all, this is Queens of the Stone Age and this album is called Villains. This new direction actually makes sense, considering Josh Homme has swagger and swing, and had done similar music with Eagles of Death Metal. This new direction led Homme to hiring Mark Ronson (the producer of the dreaded Uptown Funk single), which led to a polarized reaction from fans and criticisms of selling out.

Feet Don’t Fail Me slowly builds up for nearly two minutes before the music explodes into its verse — it’s a strong opener and a great introduction to the sound of the album. The Way You Used to Do sounds like E.O.D.M. boogie rock, and though it’s perfectly fine and pretty groovy, it’s easily the band’s weakest lead single yet.

Domesticated Animals is like riding a carousel, about to fall off, but never quite letting go. Fortress, Hideaway and Un-Reborn Again are all quasi-ballads, but fortunately don’t fall too far into pop territory. Head Like a Haunted House has twisting guitars and a funhouse vibe. The Evil Has Landed is delightfully devilish.

Villains of Circumstance is an emotional closer, with lyrics that I suspect are in relation to the 2015 Bataclan terrorist attack in Paris, which took place during an Eagles of Death Metal concert (though Homme wasn’t on tour with them at that time).

If you don’t like synthesizers and dance rock, then you may not like this album, but if you’re willing to let the band goof off for a bit, then you might have some fun with Villains.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Queens of the Stone Age on Discogs.

Back to the 2017 Album Guide or the Queens of the Stone Age Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard