The Deal: The latest “supergroup” combines the bass of Led Zeppelin in John Paul Jones, the guitar and vocals of Queens of the Stone Age in Josh Homme and drums of Nirvana in Dave Grohl.
The Good: When I first heard about these three getting together, I was sweating in anticipation. The results are about what I expected – chugging grooves, hammered drums and QOTSA-esque vocals over the top. Some of the grooves sound a bit more Zeppelin than Stone Age, but the vocals are uniquely Homme. “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” kicks off with something out of the notebook of Jimmy Page (not literally), but the vocals bring it into territory more familiar with the Queens or Foo Fighters. The best thing about the group is that they aren’t trying to be any of those three bands. Instead, they’re trying to secure their footing into something of their own – it’s an amalgam of all three bands without sounding too much like any one or the other. There are many moments when it sounds like there are more than three people performing – I’m guessing the multi-talented Jones does more than play bass. Hard to believe these guys only got together earlier this year and played their first show in August. Rumors also have it that they’re planning on recording another album – I say, “bring it on!”
The Bad: Maybe it’s bad that Grohl doesn’t play the drums more often. He sure as hell hasn’t lost his touch after years of being the front man for Foo Fighters.
The Verdict: Here’s the question – would anyone care about this music if the names weren’t attached? I’d like to believe so. The music’s catchy while still keeping its rock intact. And let’s face it: There’s a whole lotta talent packed in these 13 tracks – for more than an hour of music. This one’s gonna be in my CD player for a while.
This article appears in Dec 15-21, 2009.
