Queens of the Stone Age – “In Times New Roman…”

Queens of the Stone Age’s In Times New Roman… arrives carrying far more emotional and personal weight than almost anything else in the band’s catalog. In the years leading up to the album, singer/guitarist Josh Homme endured a very public and ugly divorce from Distillers frontwoman Brody Dalle, alongside a prolonged custody battle. Around the same time, Homme entered sobriety and quietly battled cancer. Those experiences loom heavily over the record and help shape its confrontational, bitter, and often venomous tone.

Lyrically, the album is steeped in resentment, paranoia, defiance and exhaustion. Homme sounds wounded but combative, lashing out at authority figures, institutions, and perceived enemies while still wrestling with his own survival. There is humor throughout, but it is sharp and sarcastic rather than playful. Many of these songs feel like courtroom arguments set to riffs, full of sneers, accusations and grudges that refuse to fade.

The production reflects that mindset. Queens of the Stone Age move away from their trademark desert psychedelia and lean into a tighter, groove-oriented approach. The riffs are more controlled and repetitive, built to grind rather than sprawl. This restraint gives the album a tense and claustrophobic feel, as if everything is coiled and ready to snap. The band sounds focused and deliberate, favoring rhythm and precision over atmosphere.

Instrumentally, the guitar work and basslines are the clear standouts across the album. The guitars are sharp and angular, often locking into repetitive patterns that feel confrontational rather than flashy. Instead of chasing big solos or psychedelic wanderings, the band relies on grit, texture, and rhythmic bite. The bass carries a massive amount of weight, anchoring the grooves and giving the songs their physical pull. Many tracks move forward less on melody and more on the sheer force of the low end, reinforcing the album’s sense of menace and tension.

The album title itself works as a pointed joke. In Times New Roman… evokes formality, order and authority, yet the music is anything but polite. It is a jab at institutions and expectations, mirroring the album’s refusal to soften its edges or seek approval. Even the trailing ellipsis feels intentional, suggesting unfinished business and unresolved anger.

Several tracks stand out as defining moments. “Paper Machete” is vicious and direct, driven by a slicing riff and Homme at his most venomous. “What the Peephole Say” leans into a hypnotic groove, sounding paranoid and sneering as it tightens its grip. “Made to Parade,” the album’s mid-point, offers a bleak and reflective tone, providing endurance rather than resolution.

In Times New Roman… is Queens of the Stone Age’s darkest album to date. Its rawness gives it staying power, and the band sounds reinvigorated by conflict rather than dulled by it. It stands as their strongest release since Songs for the Deaf and a decisive step forward after the slick, dance-rock leanings of Villains. This is not a comfortable album, but it is a compelling one, sharpened by adversity and unafraid to confront it head-on.

For Fans Of:

• Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

• Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth

• IDLES – Crawler