It would be nearly impossible for Queens of the Stone Age to better or even match its 2002 breakout hit, Songs for the Deaf. But the task is more daunting when frontman/guitarist Joshua Homme tries to recreate the magic of Songs without input from three of its chief architects. Lullabies to Paralyze is Homme's abortive attempt to prove that he can create an album on par with Songs.
This isn't the same Queens of the Stone Age that created the stoner-rock epic Songs for the Deaf. Homme booted original band member, bassist Nick Olivieri, claiming that Olivieri was too out of control for the notoriously rowdy Queens. Vocalist Mark Lannegan, whose baritone was ever-present on Songs, contributed sparingly to Lullabies because he is pursuing solo work, and Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl isn't behind the drums to contribute his precise, pounding work.
To compensate for these absences, Homme brings in everyone from the Distillers' Brody Dalle to ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons to back him up. Unfortunately, their input doesn't have much of an impact.
This leaves the album on the shoulders of Homme and, to a lesser extent, the replacement musicians around him. For the most part, Lullabies sounds like self-indulgent songwriting from an artist usually surrounded by other talented musicians. The album shows signs of genius, but suffers from a permeating sameness and a sense of aimlessness.
Homme's commitment to taking over the writing process provides this darker, less metal-influenced album with its highs and lows.
Out of the gate, Homme delivers with the fuzzy guitar-laden "Medication," the grungy yet psychedelic "Everybody Knows That You Are Insane" and the creepy "Burn the Witch." The album comes to a head on "Little Sister," a perfect radio single featuring a simple guitar riff set to the rhythm of a steady, cowbell-laden beat.
Unfortunately, Lullabies' creativity falls off mid-way through the 14-track disc. The second half sounds like a barrage of directionless riffs and ideas recycled from previous albums. Even Mark Lanegan's vocals can't save the penultimate "You Got a Killer Scene There, Man..." from sounding like a lighter retread of Songs' superb "God is in the Radio." Every Lullabies track has Homme's fingerprints on it; many seem long and plodding.
The absences of Olivieri, Lannegan and Grohl greatly affect Lullabies. On previous records, the voices of Lannegan and Olivieri provided a welcome respite from Homme's falsetto; the first delivered an ominous baritone, while the latter brought a frantic scream. Longtime Queens fans will be surprised by Lullabies' weaker drum work in Grohl's absence -- drummer Joey Castillo is unable to reproduce Grohl's raw power and tightness.
Where Homme managed to co-opt the mainstream while maintaining his signature sound in previous albums, Lullabies has fallen prey to his self-indulgent arty trappings. That said, Lullabies is a decent record, just not up to the standards of the previous work. Longtime fans of the band will no doubt enjoy Homme's forays into darker, more introspective material, but Lullabies to Paralyze disappoints because of its inability to carry over the raw energy of Queens' previous efforts.
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