...Like Clockwork

Untitled

...Like Clockwork is the forthcoming sixth studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, due for release on June 3, 2013 on Matador Records. Self-produced by the band, it is the first Queens of the Stone Age album to feature full contributions from bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist and guitarist Dean Fertita, who both joined the band in 2007 to tour in support of their fifth studio album, Era Vulgaris, and recorded its bonus tracks.

The band began recording ...Like Clockwork in November 2011, initially hoping that collaborator Trent Reznor would produce the album. Following a tumultuous recording period, which included the departure of long-time drummer Joey Castillo, founding member Josh Homme described the album as "documenting the journey of moving forward, you know. It was a tough time and I thought, 'I can run away from this, or I can run into it.'"

Overview and background

Plans of recording a follow-up to Era Vulgaris had been mentioned since 2008, but recording would not begin until August 2012. In March 2011, Homme stated, "Doing the rehearsals for the first record is really defining the new one. It's been turning the new record into something else. What we were doing was kind of bluesy, and now it's turned into this trancey, broken thing. The robots are back!" In May 2011, Homme explained to BBC Radio 1, "We're going to take our one last break that we would get for a month, come back and do Glastonbury, then immediately jump in the studio. Our record will be done by the end of the year. We have enough songs."

In November 2011, frequent collaborator Alain Johannes stated that he was currently in the studio with the band, stating, "We had a late night with Queens again. [...] Just putting in days, super top secret, but it’s going to be amazing. I’m really excited about it. [...] Once we start the process, it goes to completion. So I can’t say exactly when, but it’s a really good start."

Production

Recording and contributions

On August 20, 2012, the band stated via their Facebook page that they were recording their new album. Tumult that surfaced during the recording of the album provided inspiration for the LP's title. Homme explained to Rolling Stone magazine: "We'd have these great victories and then something would go south for a bit, and we'd go, 'It's like clockwork!' I think a sick sense of humor is what's always been our preservation mechanism, so this time we're using that sick sense of humor for a title."

In November 2012, Homme told BBC's Zane Lowe that Joey Castillo had left the band and that drums on the new album would be performed by Dave Grohl, who performed on Songs for the Deaf. Homme also confirmed that the album would be released prior to their performance at the Download Festival in June 2013. In addition to Grohl, other former members contributing to the album include former bassists Nick Oliveri and Alain Johannes as well as vocalist Mark Lanegan.

A number of collaborations from different musicians have also been announced for the new album, including Trent Reznor, Jake Shears, Alex Turner, James Lavelle, Brody Dalle, and Sir Elton John. John ended up on the album after surprising Homme with a phone call, telling him he needed an "actual queen" on the record. In addition to Dave Grohl's drum contribution, the record also features performances by former drummer Joey Castillo as well as a track by new drummer Jon Theodore on the title track, "...Like Clockwork".

Promotion and announcements

In March 2013, the band announced that the new album, titled ...Like Clockwork, would be released in June 2013 on Matador Records. On March 22, 2013, the band teased the album artwork for ...Like Clockwork on Facebook by an artist known as Boneface. They premiered a new song titled "My God is the Sun" at Lollapalooza Brazil on March 30, 2013. The performance saw Jon Theodore make his live debut with the band. The studio version of "My God is the Sun" premiered on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show on April 8, 2013. It was then confirmed by the band's official Facebook page that the song would be released on iTunes on April 8.

On May 6 half of the song "I Appear Missing" was launched from the website www.likeclockwork.tv. On May 8, the band performed a couple of their new songs on a small intimate concert in Antwerp ('Zuiderpershuis'), called 'Club 69', an exclusive show with only 69 invited couples. Tickets had to be won on Studio Brussel. The set included ‘My God Is The Sun’, ‘I Sat By The Ocean’, ‘Keep Your Eyes Peeled’ and 'If I Had A Tail'. A few days later on May 14th, part of the track "Kalopsia" appeared on the site. A day later on May 15th, part of "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" was posted along with a full leak of the album on SoundCloud. The same day, the band performed 'If I Had A Tail' and 'My God Is The Sun' on the Dutch TV show De Wereld Draait Door. May 16th saw "If I Had A Tail" posted to likeclockwork.tv with the final video in the series "My God is the Sun" posted on May 17th. On May 20th, a short film of all five videos was released.

Promotion videos

Between May 6 and 17, five animated music videos by artist Boneface were posted on the album's website www.likeclockwork.tv and form a continuous series that introduced four nameless characters.

The order of the videos, with their accompanying subtitles:

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Appear Missing ("Calling All Comas")"	3:00
2.	"Kalopsia ("A Condition Wherein Things Appear More Beautiful Than They Are")"	1:51
3.	"Keep Your Eyes Peeled ("A Man Walks Into A Bar...")"	3:01
4.	"If I Had a Tail ("Burn It ALL Down")"	3:32
5.	"My God Is the Sun ("The Crack Of Doom")"	3:58

The video for "My God Is the Sun" is the only video that contains the entire song.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Clash	7/10
CraveOnline	10/10

Initial reviews for the album are generally positive so far. According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, "'...Like Clockwork' is unusually focused for a Queens of the Stone Age record, containing all of the group's hallmarks - namely volume and crunch, but also a tantalizing sense of danger, finding seduction within the darkness."

Clash magazine rated the album 7 of 10, saying that "elsewhere there's a determined drive, and a drift towards stoner-rock. The end product is born out of some sterling songwriting, as ever."

In a 10 out of 10 review, CraveOnline called the album "More real, raw and direct than ever before in both production and composition".

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Keep Your Eyes Peeled" (featuring Jake Shears)	5:04
2.	"I Sat by the Ocean"	3:55
3.	"The Vampyre of Time and Memory"	3:34
4.	"If I Had a Tail" (featuring Alex Turner, Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan)	4:55
5.	"My God Is the Sun"	3:55
6.	"Kalopsia" (featuring Trent Reznor)	4:38
7.	"Fairweather Friends" (featuring Elton John, Trent Reznor, Nick Oliveri, Mark Lanegan, Alain Johannes, and Brody Dalle)	3:43
8.	"Smooth Sailing"	4:51
9.	"I Appear Missing"	6:01
10.	"…Like Clockwork"	5:24

Personnel

Album line-up

• Josh Homme – lead vocals, guitar, backing vocals, twelve string guitar ("I Appear Missing"), slide guitar ("I Appear Missing")
• Troy Van Leeuwen – guitar, backing vocals, percussion, keyboard, twelve string guitar (tracks 5 and 9), lap steel ("Kalopsia")
• Dean Fertita – keyboard, guitar, backing vocals, percussion, piano ("Kalopsia")
• Michael Shuman – bass, backing vocals, keyboard ("Kalopsia")

Guest appearances

• Dave Grohl – drums, percussion (all tracks except 1, 2, 6, and 10)
• Joey Castillo – drums, percussion on "Kalopsia", "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" and "I Sat by the Ocean"
• Jon Theodore – drums, percussion on "...Like Clockwork"
• Nick Oliveri – vocals on "If I Had a Tail" and "Fairweather Friends"
• Mark Lanegan – vocals on "If I Had a Tail" and "Fairweather Friends"
• Alex Turner – vocals, guitar on "If I Had a Tail", lyrics on "Kalopsia"
• Trent Reznor – "Fairweather Friends" and "Kalopsia"
• Jake Shears - vocals on "Keep Your Eyes Peeled"
• Sir Elton John – piano, vocals on "Fairweather Friends"
• Brody Dalle – vocals
• Alain Johannes
• James Lavelle

Technical

• Josh Homme & Queens of the Stone Age - producers
• Boneface - design, illustrations
• Liam Brazier - Animation for promo videos

• Mark Rankin (recording engineer)- Record and mix