In Times New Roman...
In Times New Roman... is the eighth studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on June 16, 2023, through Matador Records.[3] It was announced in a video teaser on May 9, 2023,[6] and is the band's first album since Villains (2017).[7] The announcement occurred alongside the release of the lead single, "Emotion Sickness".[8] The band is currently touring North America and Europe in support of the record.[6][9] In Times New Roman... marks the conclusion of the band's trilogy of albums released through Matador that began with ...Like Clockwork (2013).
| In Times New Roman... | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 16, 2023 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:37 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Queens of the Stone Age | |||
| Queens of the Stone Age chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from In Times New Roman... | ||||
Recording edit
The band produced the album with mixing handled by Mark Rankin, and recorded it at frontman Josh Homme's Pink Duck Studios in Burbank, California,[8] as well as at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La studio in Malibu, California.[3]
In an interview with NME ahead of the album's release, Homme spoke on how life events had an influence on the recording of In Times New Roman...:
"I think when you're dealing with the extreme ups and downs of life, you don't stop and go: 'I should really make a record.' Those things don't exist in that moment. If your roof is flooding, you don't say: 'We should make a record about this!' You have to stop yourself drowning in a flood. We recorded it probably two-and-a-half years ago, but it just sat there waiting to be finished. I didn't sing it until last November. I wasn't done living. Honestly, I was probably afraid. I wasn't ready. You need the flood to be over, and then you can decide whether you can accept the flood. I think with this being a record about acceptance, you need to actually get there yourself."[10]
Critical reception edit
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.0/10[11] |
| Metacritic | 80/100[12] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [13] |
| Classic Rock | [2] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [14] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[1] |
| The Independent | [15] |
| Kerrang! | [16] |
| Louder Sound | [17] |
| NME | [18] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10[19] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.7/5[20] |
In Times New Roman... received a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 19 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[12] Thomas Smith of NME described In Times New Roman... as "a grotty listen, using pain to encourage a rawness in their sound that's been absent since 2007's Era Vulgaris" and felt that "with enough fan-service for the die-hards; this is up there with their darkest, knottiest material to date, and will be appreciated all the more for it".[18] Fred Barrett of Slant Magazine wrote that while the album "abandons the glossy dance-rock of its predecessor, it doesn't do so in favor of exploring new styles, sounds, or textures". Barrett found that the album's highlights "prove that Queens of the Stone Age can still reliably deliver left-of-center alt-rock thrills [...] but after almost three decades of taking on every strand of rock music and embracing both the analog and the digital, it's disheartening, if perhaps understandable, that the band seems unsure of where to go next."[21]
Reviewing the album for Exclaim!, Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette wrote that "the band has moved away from their roots in some regards, but remain completely the same in others", elaborating that "the new LP takes their unique alternative rock to new dimensions, swapping uptempo rock n' roll jolts for a slow-yet-unnerving new groove. It's an album that's sure to please all listeners, but only truly satisfy real fans of the band."[1] Simon K. of Sputnikmusic opined that the band have "delivered something very familiar, but with just enough new things in it to make it somewhat fresh" and that the album "seems to trade in peaks and troughs for steadfast songwriting", despite finding that there are no "top-tier tracks you could stick on the quintessential Queens playlist".[20]
Writing for Pitchfork, Zach Schonfeld called it the band's "heaviest, angriest work since 2007's underrated Era Vulgaris", and felt that "Homme chips away the chrome-plated dance-rock machinations of 2017's Mark Ronson-produced Villains and tries to restore the band to a bluesy primitivity". Schonfeld also remarked that the album's "most compelling tracks deepen the anger with flashes of humor and wry introspection" and its "best songs [...] are hiding in the back half".[19]
Track listing edit
All lyrics are written by Joshua Homme; all music is composed by Homme, Dean Fertita, Michael Shuman, Jon Theodore, Troy Van Leeuwen
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Obscenery" | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Paper Machete" | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Negative Space" | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Time & Place" | 4:26 |
| 5. | "Made to Parade" | 5:18 |
| 6. | "Carnavoyeur" | 3:56 |
| 7. | "What the Peephole Say" | 4:06 |
| 8. | "Sicily" | 4:41 |
| 9. | "Emotion Sickness" | 4:31 |
| 10. | "Straight Jacket Fitting" | 9:01 |
| Total length: | 47:37 | |
Personnel edit
Queens of the Stone Age
- Josh Homme – performance, production, engineering
- Dean Fertita – performance
- Michael Shuman – performance
- Jon Theodore – performance
- Troy Van Leeuwen – performance
Additional musicians
- Richard Dodd – cello (tracks 1, 6, 8, 10)
- Leah Katz – viola (1, 6, 8, 10)
- Daphne Chen – violin (1, 6, 8, 10)
- Eric Gorfain – violin (1, 6, 8, 10)
- Nina McCoy – additional vocals (1)
- Sharetta Morgan-Harmon – additional vocals (1)
- Tenderlie Lavender – additional vocals (1)
- Matt Helders – additional vocals (9)
Technical
- Gavin Lurssen – mastering
- Reuben Cohen – mastering
- Mark Rankin – mixing, engineering
- Justin Smith – engineering
- Robert Stevenson – engineering
- Greg White – engineering assistance
- Davey Latter – drum technician
- Salar Rajabnik – guitar technician, keyboard technician
- Wayne Faler – guitar technician, keyboard technician
- Matt Zivich – guitar technician
- Brendan Benson – additional engineering (4)
- David Feeny – additional engineering (10)
Visuals
- Boneface – artwork
Charts edit
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] | 2 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[23] | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] | 1 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26] | 30 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[27] | 17 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28] | 1 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[29] | 8 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[30] | 7 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] | 2 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[32] | 31 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[33] | 3 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[34] | 17 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[35] | 45 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[36] | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[37] | 18 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV)[38] | 3 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[39] | 2 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[40] | 2 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[41] | 5 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[42] | 19 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] | 2 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[44] | 2 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[45] | 1 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[46] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200[47] | 9 |
References edit
- ^ a b c Nafekh-Blanchette, Spencer (June 15, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Dial Back the Intensity with In Times New Roman...". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Johnston, Emma (June 16, 2023). "Desert rock superstars Queens of the Stone Age have returned to retain their crown". Classic Rock. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Carys (May 11, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album In Times New Roman..., Share "Emotion Sickness": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (May 31, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Release Shimmering New Single, "Carnavoyeur"". Spin. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ Harrison, Scoop (June 14, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Reveal Crunchy New Single "Paper Machete": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (May 11, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Combat 'Emotion Sickness' Ahead Of New LP". Spin. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Minsker, Evan (May 11, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album In Times New Roman..., Share Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ Kaufman, Spencer (June 6, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age Announce 2023 North American Tour". Consequence. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Perry, Kevin EG (June 13, 2023). "Queens of The Stone Age: "This album sounds as brutal as it feels to be alive right now"". NME. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "In Times New Roman... by Queens of the Stone Age reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ a b "In Times New Roman... by Queens of the Stone Age Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman... Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Platt, Poppie (June 16, 2023). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens wants to lock politicians in London Zoo – the week's best albums". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Helen (June 16, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age review, In Times New Roman: Josh Homme vacillates between vulnerable and vindictive". The Independent. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Ruskell, Nick (June 16, 2023). "Album Review: Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman...". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Brannigan, Paul (June 15, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age's In Times New Roman... is a brutal dissection of dark days and damage done, but Josh Homme's pain isn't everyone's gain". Louder Sound. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Smith, Thomas (June 15, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman review: dark, sludgy, brutal". NME. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Schonfeld, Zach (June 16, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age: In Times New Roman... Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b K., Simon (June 15, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman...". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ Barrett, Fred (June 12, 2023). "Queens of the Stone Age In Times New Roman... Review: A Familiar Musical Language". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman..." (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman..." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of July 1, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 25, 2023". Hitlisten. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "Albumit 25/2023". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "Top Albums (Week 25, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman..." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 25. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2023-06-26/p/5" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "Album 2023 uke 25". VG-lista. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 16.06.2023–22.06.2023 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ "Veckolista Album, vecka 25". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman...". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (June 25, 2023). "Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time' Hits 14 Weeks Atop Billboard 200, Most Since Adele's '21'". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2023.