Queens Of The Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age emerged in 1996 from the desert region around Palm Desert, California – that legendary environment shaped by generator-party culture and bands like Kyuss that laid the groundwork for stoner rock. Joshua Homme, formerly guitarist with Kyuss, founded the band after that group's dissolution as a deliberate counterpoint: less doom-laden, tighter in rhythm, more melodic, and with an instinct for pop-adjacent structures that never lost their raw edge. The early core consisted of Homme, Matt Cameron (Soundgarden) on drums, and a rotating cast of guest musicians – a revolving-door principle the band maintains to this day.

The self-titled debut (1998, Man's Ruin Records) immediately established the unmistakable QOTSA sound: dry, fat guitar riffs, hypnotic grooves, and Homme's signature vibrato. Rated R (2000, Interscope) delivered the international breakthrough – an album fusing stoner-rock sensibility with catchy hooks and a dose of irony. Songs for the Deaf (2002, Interscope) followed as a conceptual masterpiece with Dave Grohl behind the kit, catapulting the band into the mainstream with hits like "No One Knows" and cementing their classic status.

The stylistic evolution across the years has been remarkably multifaceted. Lullabies to Paralyze (2005) and Era Vulgaris (2007) explored darker, more abrasive sonic territories, while …Like Clockwork (2013) – born from Homme's severe personal crisis – surprised with bleak, introspective force and topped the charts across Europe (No. 1 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Villains (2017, produced with Mark Ronson) introduced consciously danceable, funk-laced elements without betraying the core QOTSA DNA.

With their ninth studio album In Times New Roman… (2023, Matador Records), the band returned to rawer, more immediate tones – recorded in Homme's desert studio amid internal turbulence. The album presents QOTSA as a powerful, direct rock band with dark undercurrents. The current lineup with Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita, and Jon Theodore stands as the most stable and musically versatile in the band's history. QOTSA remain one of the few bands that navigate effortlessly between underground credibility and mainstream rock relevance – influencing generations of bands with their fusion of desert atmosphere, precise groove, and melodic audacity. Vinyl editions of their albums, particularly limited pressings of Songs for the Deaf and …Like Clockwork, are highly sought after by collectors and regularly sell out – if you want to own this band on wax, you'd better shop fast.

Diskography

1998 - Queens of the Stone Age (Man's Ruin Records)
2000 - Rated R (Interscope Records)
2002 - Songs for the Deaf (Interscope Records)
2005 - Lullabies to Paralyze (Interscope Records)
2007 - Era Vulgaris (Interscope Records)
2013 - …Like Clockwork (Matador Records)
2017 - Villains (Matador Records)
2023 - In Times New Roman… (Matador Records)
2026 - Perfecth (Matador Records)

EPS
2007 - Era Vulgaris (EP version with bonus tracks, Interscope Records)