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Queens of the Stone Age
Lullabies to Paralyze


3.5
great

Review

by Stormy Smiley Face USER (114 Reviews)
November 27th, 2005 | 19 replies


Release Date: 2005 | Tracklist


Wow, talk about a complete turnaround. Queen of the Stone Age’s last album before this was much more oriented toward hard rock or maybe even stoner rock, but with Lullabies to Paralyze, it is clear that QOTSA has changed their overall approach to writing music when they were so busy changing the lineup all around. This album is much more laid back then Songs for the Deaf even was and this isn’t in any way even an actual rock album. I would say that this is more of a blues-rock album than anything else. When I first heard the single Little Sister, I was afraid that I wouldn’t like this album as much as I did SFTD. I was right about that, but SFTD is one of my favorite albums of all time so that would be hard to beat. After getting this album I became disgusted with it, but soon over time, namely in the last two months, I have begun to let this album grow on me.


The intro song This Lullaby, has Mark Lanegan singing softly with Joshua Homme on the acoustic sounding guitar and whispering in the background. About one minute and twenty seconds long; this intro sets the eerie, gothic like mood for the rest of the album. Most of the songs on this whole hour-long album have a laid back feel that I find easy to listen to when I’m attempting to fall asleep at night. The guitar and bass keep their overall sound that they had on Songs for the Deaf, but is slightly tamer. On songs such as Everybody Knows That You’re Insane, In My Head, and Skin on Skin is where the guitar really stands out. Joshua Homme’s singing voice is the same that everyone has come to expect of with a dark, smooth, and almost distorted feeling. Those expecting many of the songs to be catchy will be incredibly disappointed, but the nice melody’s should more than make up for that. Most likely the best performance that Josh gives vocally are on the songs as well as singles; In My Head and Little Sister, which are both also about as catchy as you get on this album. As for the bass, well, it just doesn’t stand out as much as it would have on older songs from the band, but bassist Troy Van Leeuwen (Also known from A Perfect Circle) still does an above average job on the album and can still be heard distinctly in the background on songs such as I Never Came and Skin on Skin. The drums that are played by Joey Castillo don’t ever stand out much on any songs, and sometimes I must say that it doesn’t even add to the music. One song where the drums are good though is Broken Box.


Overall, most songs will stick to the same music formula and won’t ever go from being really quiet to loud or vice versa except for maybe the song Someone’s In The Wolf. Some people will think that this album is one of the more repetitive albums that they have ever heard while others will find this album as an incredibly relaxing, almost psychedelic album that they love to listen to when there is gloomy weather or something. The best songs on the album are most likely In My Head and The Blood Is Love and there are no really weak songs on the whole album. Mainly because of the enjoyable vocals and the talented guitar playing I believe that this album deserves a rating of great (3.5 out of 5).



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user ratings (2514)
3.7
great
other reviews of this album
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Comments:Add a Comment 
Storm In A Teacup
November 28th 2005


46649 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Short, but ever so sweet. Comments are welcome about the reveiw and the album. :thumb:

Zebra
Moderator
November 28th 2005


2647 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

I thought your review was excellent, but I wouldn't consider this an eerie or gothic like album. Other than that you summed this up perfectly.



This album is just average, there really arn't any standouts and the music is fairly formulaic.

Electric City
November 28th 2005


15756 Comments


Curse You Kripes! I gotta find some more albums to review....


good review.

Chilly-Bean-Bop
November 28th 2005


344 Comments


Great review. I haven't heard too much from this cd, but I like the songs Little Sister and In My Head.

NEDM
November 28th 2005


1113 Comments


Medication is the best track on the album.

Nice review.

Rudd13
November 28th 2005


952 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

This was a decent review. But a bit more detail would have been appreciated. The blues-influenced Burn The Witch is my favorite on here as well as Tangled Up In Plaid and the eerie Someones In The Wolf. This is one of the band's better stuff, but their self titled and Rated R seem to me like included a lot more effort and they seem to include what got the band high up there in my standards in the first place.

Aakon_Keetreh
November 28th 2005


448 Comments


ive never really liked them that much...but good job on the review

masada
November 28th 2005


2733 Comments


"Little Sister" blows.

sgrevs
November 28th 2005


698 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Not a bad album, I really dig ' Burn the Witch' and 'Someone's in the Wolf'.

ocelot-05
November 28th 2005


807 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I like this band very much. This review gave the album justice.

Storm In A Teacup
November 28th 2005


46649 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

[quote=Zebra]I thought your review was excellent, but I wouldn't consider this an eerie or gothic like album. Other than that you summed this up perfectly.[/quote]



[quote=ocelot-05]I like this band very much. This review gave the album justice.[/quote]



Cool, thanks.



[quote=BTBP]Medication is the best track on the album.[/quote]



It probably is for people that really like Songs For the Deaf the best as it is pretty much the heaviest track. Now if it just wasn't so short.

scallahan06
November 28th 2005


124 Comments


man this review is sweet. you explained everything so perfectly. i wish i could explain it like you did. you should do a review on their self-titled album and rated r, if you havent done so already. oh yeah on qotsa .com if any of you are interested, if you start lullabies the same tima as snow white, it syncs up perfect.This Message Edited On 11.29.05

DesolationRow
November 28th 2005


833 Comments


I haven't heard much off this album, but what i did hear, was very good. Great review, Kripes. :thumb:

RomoCosmo14
November 28th 2005


69 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

There are so many good songs off of this album:



Medication

Someone's in the Wolf

Burn the Witch

Broken Box

In My Head



Although i still think that this is one of their weaker albums... not like that says much,



Nice Review

barosjn
November 28th 2005


501 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

One song I found catchy that you forgot to mention in your review: "You Got A Killer Scene There, Man..."

Storm In A Teacup
November 29th 2005


46649 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I didn't forget it. This is an overall review, not a poopy track-by-track.

barosjn
November 29th 2005


501 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I know it's not track by track, but I find that song catchy along with the others.

Xander_Christ
November 29th 2005


132 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

This album puts me to sleep, but in a good way. Not quite up to R and SFTD standards, but good nonetheless. Great review

Activista anti-MTV
March 14th 2006


3154 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Good Review. I enjoyed the mood of this album very much. although i wouldn't recommend this album tomost people. Long Live the Queens!



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