Following the departure of co-founding member Nick Oliveri last year, Josh Homme, arguably one of the most prolific and acclaimed songwriters and musicians of his generation, along with the remaining Queens Of The Stone Age, persevere with 'Lullabies To Paralyze', their fourth studio album.

First single off the album 'Little Sister' demonstrates the fusion of raw energy and rifftastic grooves that we have come to expect from QOTSA, with an errantly ambitious guitar accentuated by Homme's evocative desert-drawl vocals. However, this rock monster is one of the weaker tracks of an album that is rammed full of musical demons that the band have felt the need to exorcise.

On 'Medication' the band personify their somewhat hedonistic rock approach with a keen pop scrutiny with the declaration "just copulation in a song/ I'm so contagious, can I come?", recognising the commercial machine the band are becoming with their sound increasingly appealing onto mainstream audiences. However, without pausing to take a breath, the song launches into 'Everybody Knows That You're Insane', a thundering personal attack that is rather too obvious to be about former member Oliveri and his infamous on-stage/off-stage antics.

The band are not just about power riffs and thundering percussions however; on 'Burn The Witch' they explore a deep South swamp-funk sound, embark on a bluesy meander on 'You Got A Killer Scene' whilst 'I Never Came' embodies the sort of acoustic glory that showcases the versatility of Homme’s vocals- one minute inebriated and damaged, the next gentle- with a certain emotional insecurity, questioning "why did you have to be so mean and cruel?" with painful sincerity. Perhaps the insecurity of Oliveri's departure from the band or Homme's recent rock 'n' roll relationship with Distillers' Brody Dalle has exposed a deep chasm of feelings, but on tracks like 'I Never Came' and 'Long Slow Goodbye’, a sweeping country-tinged tale of relationships ending, QOTSA seem to be developing on a more honed and polished modern rock sound with profundity and feeling.

Along with the playful swagger and rock 'n' roll romp of 'Broken Box' and a sped-up version of 'In My Head' (having been previously recorded for Homme's Desert Sessions project), 'Lullabies To Paralyze' demonstrates the depths of a desire to explore music, from the haunting and stark sound of emotional turmoil, to the effervescent and giddy rock-outs that celebrate life. Queens Of The Stone Age encompass a sound that is not only unique but also incredibly melodic and inspiring.