It’s fitting that Queens of the Stone Age released their newest live EP, Alive in the Catacombs, on Friday, June 13th. The EP features five live, bone chilling songs handpicked from multiple studio recordings. Those five songs are from their Era Vulgaris, In Times New Roman…, Villains, …Like Clockwork and Lullabies to Paralyze records. The band stepped away from fan favorite tunes and opted for deep cuts that’ll please the most hardcore fans.
The live EP has a total run time of just 27 minutes but do not let that fool you. In those 27 minutes, Queens of the Stone Age created a multitude of emotions in just five songs. Since the records were done in the catacombs, there was limited power. So, the band brought a car battery, a few lights, microphones and a keyboard down underground with them. Additionally, they brought down three string players to add to their acoustic feel.
The record starts with “Running Joke / Paper Machete.” This song features one song from Era Vulgaris and the other from In Times New Roman… all wrapped up in a five and a half minute tune. It takes seconds for you to get the hint that this song will be different from other typical live EPs. The recording quality is crisp and clear – you can hear how enclosed they are, which causes claustrophobia even when listening to the recording.
Throughout the EP, you can hear drummer Jon Theodore using different pieces of equipment in place of his drum kit. On “Running Joke / Paper Machete” you can hear him in the background using sandpaper. I love the use of the strings on this tune; it brings out and supports Josh Homme’s vocals. On this EP, Homme sets down his guitar and focuses on just singing. Since they recorded this EP in such a closed space, you can hear the background vocals more clearly than in a typical live album.
Creepy chimes greet listeners at the beginning of track two, “Kalopsia.” This song is originally featured on the band’s 2013 record …Like Clockwork. They attack this song with a more eerie and uncomfortable edge than the studio recording. On this song, in the back of the mix, you can hear Theodore knocking and dropping metal chains. The acoustic guitar and the size of the room bring out Troy Van Leeuwen and Michael Shuman’s playing abilities. On the band’s rendition of “Kalopsia,” they take listeners on a rollercoaster of emotions. They go from eerie to lighthearted, back to eerie in five minutes. What’s one of the most unique aspects of having strings is that they don’t beef up the guitars. This adds another layer of sound that creates new sounds and explores new avenues of their songs.
When fans get to “Villains of Circumstance,” they are halfway through. Producer Mark Rankin used the natural sounds of the catacombs to include in their recordings. They recorded water dripping down right before Dean Fertita’s keyboard entrance. Throughout the tune, you can still hear the water trickling down, which adds a new, fresh and unique element. This song just features Homme and the strings, creating a beautiful rendition. There’s a slight moment on the chorus where Homme gets in front of the strings, but that imperfection is what a live record is all about. Homme’s voice fits nicely with the strings and creates a warmer, calmer feeling than the uncomfortable recording circumstances. It’s also amazing how you can hear Fertita on these recordings. Sometimes during a live show or studio recording, the other members overpower him. Here, you can hear him crystal clear.
As “Villains of Circumstance” ends with the sounds of the catacombs, “Suture Up Your Future” begins. This is an underrated song which hadn’t been played live in a long time. On Tuesday, June 10th, the band played this song live for the first time since 2008 (All Music Magazine was there for the show. CLICK HERE). On this version, it’s somber and more mellow, which features Homme, Shuman and Fertita. The recording quality is so crisp that you can hear the bass string vibrate when Shuman moves around the guitar; that’s how intimate the recording sessions were. Like with “Villains of Circumstance,” it’s another song where Fertita is perfect on it. You can hear him so clearly since there are only three of them. “Suture Up Your Future” is the only song where the strings don’t appear. I like that the band didn’t oversaturate the music with strings.
The last song is “I Never Came.” This song opens up with Theodore using chopsticks to hammer out a beat. Amazingly, the band can keep in time with each other without the traditional drums. In the back half of the tune, you can hear Van Leeuwen’s diversity as a guitarist as listeners get hints of slide guitar whistling. The last minute and a half of the track shows the band at one of their best moments. They repeat the chorus, while the strings keep crescendoing as they build anticipation. Throughout the last minute and a half, the band links up for some unsettling harmonies before the end. As the anticipation keeps building up, you can almost imagine someone running around in the catacombs trying to find their way out. It just creates a beautiful, claustrophobic anxiety.
Queens of the Stone Age released one of the most unique and memorable live records of recent memory. Between their endless dedication to their music, they strive to always look for new opportunities to create their art. Alive in the Catacombs is a perfect five-song collection of deep cuts, rarities and bone-chilling music. Queens of the Stone Age approach their music from a unique and new angle while resonating with any fan of their music. This is one of the band’s best releases of live material that they have ever released.
Rating: 10/10
Tracklist:
1. Running Joke / Paper Machete
2. Kalopisa
3. Villains of Circumstance
4. Suture Up Your Future
5. I Never Came
Queens of the Stone Age Are:
Josh Homme – Vocals / Guitar
Michael Shuman – Bass / Backing Vocals
Troy Van Leeuwen – Guitars / Backing Vocals
Jon Theodore – Drums
Dean Fertita – Guitars / Keyboard
Follow Queens of the Stone Age Online:
My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
