Queens of the Stone Age

Borne of early/mid-'90s cult faves/stoner-rockers Kyuss, these men of impeccable filth and taste push the hesher aesthetic through the '90s alterna-blender. Queens of the Stone Age resuscitate the '70s myth of hard rock decadence, blitzkrieging the discriminating, heavy jean jacket-wearing sweathog with sucker-punch melodies, grinding fuzz-bass propulsions, and sleazy rhythms straight from the gutter. Josh Homme's sleepy vocals add a certain narcoticism to the band's trademark pounding attack, offering an antithetical element to their otherwise visceral musical agenda. The band's near-metal sound has garnered praise from metalheads and alternafolk alike. Their guitar sound may be a direct descendent of Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins, and the roll in their rock definitely owes a certain debt to Saturation-era Urge Overkill, but the spiritual rock influences stained on their sleeve can be traced back to early Black Sabbath and other sludgy hard rock acts of the '70s.