QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Current Members
- Joey Castillo 2005- Present - DANZIG, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
Drums - Alfredo Hernandez - CHÉ
Drums - Josh Homme - DESERT SESSIONS, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, KYUSS, THEM CROOKED VULTURES
guitar / Vocals - Nick Oliveri - DESERT SESSIONS, MONDO GENERATOR, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL, KYUSS
bass / Vocals
Past Members
- Alain Johannes 2005- 2006 - SPINNERETTE, THEM CROOKED VULTURES, ANTHYM
Guitar/bass - Mark Lanegan 2000- 2005 - SCREAMING TREES, MAD SEASON, ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN
Vocals
Biography
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE is a leading Stoner Rock outfit assembled by members of the highly influential KYUSS. In 2002 the band's 'Songs For The Deaf' album would see cult appeal finally breaking out into the mainstream commercial market. Founded by ex-KYUSS guitarist Josh Homme all members have also contributed to the DESERT SESSIONS albums, a collusion with members of FU MANCHU drummer BRANT BJORK (another ex-KYUSS man) and ex-MONSTER MAGNET man John McBain. Homme took time out in early 2000 to tour as guitarist for THE SCREAMING TREES.
The 2000 EP 'Feel Good Hits Of The Summer' featured cover versions of THE KINKS 'Everybody's Gonna Be Happy' and 'Who'll Be The Next In Line' with ROMEO VOID's 'Never Say Never'. The DESERT SESSIONS track 'Monster In My Parasol', co-written by Josh Homme and FATSO JETSON's Mario Lalli- originally found on 'Desert Sessions Volume IV: Hard Walls And Little Trips', would re-appear in a new guise recorded by the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE for their 2000 album 'Rated R'. Limited edition European versions, re-dubbed 'Rated X', boasted new cover art and a bonus track 'Clarissa'.
The band toured Europe in late 2000 with support acts MONSTER MAGNET and SNAKE RIVER CONSPIRACY. For the bands 2001 European dates they were joined by erstwhile SCREAMING TREES man MARK LANEGAN. Originally intended as a short term liaison it appeared that Lanagen had joined the band on a semi permanent basis.
The group cut a new album 'Songs For The Deaf' throughout the fall of 2001 utilising the talents of NIRVANA / FOO FIGHTERS man Dave Grohl as a session drummer. However, they would be joined by FU MANCHU's BRANT BJORK, another KYUSS campaigner, by the November. Also siting in on the album sessions would be A PERFECT CIRCLE bassist Paz Lenchantin and WEEN's Gene Ween. Dave Grohl would be back in the picture too, performing on drums at a one off show at The Troubadour in West Hollywood on March 7th.
During early 2002 the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE pairing of Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri in union with AMEN's Casey Chaos and Shannon Larkin embarked on a less than expected diversion with the band project EAGLES OF DEATH METAL. Initially titled HEAD BAND upon initial press releases, this unit was set to issue the album 'Peace Love And Death Metal' through Homme's own Rekords label. Oliveri was also discovered to be working on a new album with another project, MONDO GENERATOR.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE commenced touring to promote 'Songs For The Deaf' in Atlanta on May 27th, the touring line up seeing Dave Grohl on drums although both parties were stressing the temporary nature of this arrangement, the FOO FIGHTERS man's last show with being on July 28th at the Fuji Rock Festival in Nigata, Japan. Another high profile figure, A PERFECT CIRCLE's Troy Van Leeuwen would later be added to the live line up. UK shows brought about a strange twist when an organised group booking of deaf people, confused by posters advertised with the current album title, turned up to a concert in Hull. The band would resume headlining dates in North America in Washington DC on August 30th reportedly utilising the services of drummer Kelli Scott of BLINKER THE STAR and SPOOKEY RUBEN. However, within days of this announcement it transpired that it would in actual fact be former DANZIG drummer Joey Castillo who had landed the position. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE would be supported by AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF THE DEAD for this run of shows. As all this was unfolding 'Songs For The Deaf' broke into the Billboard top twenty in is first week of sale shifting just under 50,000 units. The record was also to go top five in the UK and be in the top ten in the traditional Hard Rock territory of Germany. European shows would be cut short as dates in Strasbourg, Paris and Amsterdam were cancelled when Nick Oliveri fell ill.
Homme and Oliveri would also make time, working with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk, to pen five songs for use in the movie soundtrack to the Jodie Foster film 'The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys'. Nick Oliveri made his presence felt on the HENRY ROLLINS assembled 'West Memphis Three' benefit album 'Rise Above', lending lead vocals to a version of BLACK FLAG's 'Jealous Again'. In other outside activity MARK LANEGAN cut a 2003 studio album 'Bubblegum'. Produced by Chris Goss of MASTERS OF REALITY, it played host to a whole crop of guest contributors including his QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE compatriots frontman Josh Homme, sitting in on on drums, and bassist/vocalist Nick Oliveri.
Headline US dates in March of 2003 found the oddball yet highly regarded Norwegian act TURBONEGRO acting as support. Following international dates the band formed up part of the rejuvenated Lollapalooza touring festival commencing 3rd July, the first since 1997, partnered on the road alongside JANE'S ADDICTION, AUDIOSLAVE, JURASSIC 5 and THE DONNAS. To coincide the Ipacec Recordings label issued a strictly limited run of 1500 double vinyl album versions of 'Songs For The Deaf', made all the more special for the inclusion of an exclusive track 'Bloody Hammer'.
Lanegan, Nick Oliveri and Josh Homme all guested on MELISSA AUF DER MAUR's 2004 debut solo album. In rather more disturbing news, Nick Oliveri exited suddenly in February, closing a decade long working relationship with Josh Homme. An official management statement would be terse - "A number of incidents occurring over the last 18 months have led to the decision that the two can no longer maintain a working partnership in the band". Within days Oliveri issued his own account, claiming that both he and Lanegan had been fired. Oliveri soon got back on the road, embarking upon a solo acoustic tour of the East Coast in March as opening act for BRANT BJORK.
Homme had his EAGLES OF DEATH METAL debut 'Peace, Love, Death Metal' finally released in May of 2004. Oddly, this bands July single 'A Pair Of Queens' comprised two QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE cover versions in 'Go With The Flow' and 'Gonna Leave You'. Meantime Nick Oliveri set 'All Is Forgotten' as the title of his debut solo album through Duna Records, a label run by Brant Bjork. In June Alfredo Hernandez joined MONDO GENERATOR.
Recording sessions for a new QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE album ''Lullabies To Paralyse' in July, with Alain Johannes of ELEVEN handling bass, saw none other than ZZ TOP guitarist Billy F. Gibbons putting down some guest guitar work on a cover of ZZ's 'Precious And Grace'. GARBAGE frontwoman Shirley Manson and THE DISTILLERS Brody Dalle also contributed vocals to a track 'Man, You've Got Quite A Scene Going There'. The band would have laid down a reported eighteen songs by October, but still went back into the studio to lay down two more 'Don't Need A Name' and 'The Fun Machine Took A Shit & Died'. Meantime, as 'Songs For The Deaf' closed in on one million US album sales, Homme's side project the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL recorded a brand new album in just eight days as 2004 closed, entitled 'Death Is Sexy'.
On 8th February 2005 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE played an unannounced show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Handling bass would be 'Dan Druff', a former guitar tech for the DISTILLERS, SUM 41 and POWERMAN 5000. New songs aired for the first time from the 'Lullabies To Paralyze' album included 'Little Sister', 'Burn The Witch' and 'The Long Slow Goodbye'. The album sold over 96,000 copies in its first week of US sale to land at no. 5 on the Billboard charts.
The official world tour launch came on 14th February in Milan, Italy, where audience goers would be surprised to see MARK LANEGAN joining the band for no less than eight songs. However, the tour was abandoned just days later when Josh Homme was taken seriously ill. Reports emerged stating the singer had been coughing up blood and had been diagnosed with a lung infection. Meantime, former drummer Alfredo Hernandez appeared at the European Stoner 'Roadburn' festival of April 2005, held in Tilburg, Holland, with IDIOT PRAYER, a band including original KYUSS bassist Vic Du Monte.
Mark Lanegan opted out of the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE European tour in early April, an official explanation of "exhaustion" being given. Australian dates were undertaken in July. UK gigs scheduled at London's Somerset House and Camden's Koko were postponed in the wake of the London terrorist attacks. Josh Homme took time out to guest with ELEVEN on their version of 'Stone Cold Crazy' included on the QUEEN tribute album 'Killer Queen' released in August 2005 through Hollywood Records.
The band announced a major US Winter tour to close out the year partnered with NINE INCH NAILS. In early 2006 QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE drummer Joey Castillo laid down drum tracks on three songs for the debut album of TODD YOUTH'S HEARTACHES.
In June Josh Homme and PEARL JAM's Eddie Vedder hooked up with THE STROKES to cut a cover version of soul legend MARVIN GAYE's classic 'Mercy Mercy Me' for inclusion as the B-side on THE STROKES single 'You Only Live Once'.
The band inducted Michael Shuman, formerly of Los Angeles act WIRES ON FIRE, as new bass player in March 2007.
Discography
Album
LULLABIES TO PARALYSE 2005 | LULLABIES TO PARALYSE: TOUR EDITION 2005 | OVER THE YEARS AND THROUGH THE WOODS 2005 | SONGS FOR THE DEAF 2002 |
RATED R 2000 | QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE 1998 |
Single/EP
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Latest Release
LULLABIES TO PARALYSE