Queens Of The Stone Age - Queens Of The Stone Age (Rekords Rekords / Domino)

In 2000, Josh Homme, leader of desert rock titans Queens of the Stone Age, said “rock should be heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls”, two years after the release of their mesmeric, self-titled stoner dream debut. Fast forward to present and it's safe to say that the Palm Desert heavyweights have well and truly stuck to it and have rightfully earned their place as one of the greatest and most respected hard rock outlets on the planet, as well as the slickest, smoothest and coolest.

It's very rare that with such an established band that a debut record remains absolutely fresh and equally as astonishing so far down the line – with a completely flawless back catalogue at hand, however, it's not unexpected that such material has stood the cruel test of time. Opener 'Regular John' is much more crisp than in its previous form, but the grittiness, heaviness and excellence remains firmly in tact. Intense riffs colliding with the signature Homme croon that many fans have grown to love through the years, it is the sound of Queens of the Stone Age truly solidifying their unique genre prowess to the best of their ability, and by extension, the highest possible standard.

Continuing with their classic, anthemic status, onslaughts such as 'Avon' show just as much hard rock soul as the group's more recent outputs without sounding dated or sub-par in anyway. The sheer musicianship between the heroic Homme and fellow Kyuss member, Alfredo Hernández is utterly spellbinding and enthralling and is present throughout. Bonus track 'The Bronze' is intense, infectious and immense; with riffs worthy of any full-length, it's unfathomable that it never saw the light of day on the initial 1998 release.

From the demise of Kyuss to today, it is perfectly visible to all that Queens of the Stone Age have evolved uniquely, with splendour in their sights. Regardless, from the start, the group have been the epitome of sexiness, sophistication and utter splendour. Charm oozing through each second, it's clear that the solidification of their sound has remained alluring and all that remains to be seen is whether such brilliance can continue – but with Josh Homme at the helm, who could deny it?