Songs For The Deaf

08/23/2002 10:00 PM, LAUNCH
Chris Morris

Born of the California high desert, the Queens are everything most hard rock is usually not--supple, playful, tuneful, dynamic, and, well, mature. On their third full-length album, core members Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, formerly of stoner-rock monolith Kyuss, mix it up with a top-flight bunch of ringers that includes Nirvana/Foo Fighters ace Dave Grohl, Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan, and earthlings? frontman Dave Catching.

While this high-volume unit can slam your head against the wall as devastatingly as any metal outfit working (see "Millionaire"), the Queens have learned some key lessons from their old pal and frequent co-producer Chris Goss. Numbers like "First It Giveth," ""Song For The Dead," "Sky Is Falling," and "Another Love Song" display the plaintive tug and harmonic complexity of Goss's old band Masters Of Reality. This is one of the most accomplished, powerful, and entertaining hard rock albums ever made.