In Times New Roman... Explained

In Times New Roman...
Type:studio
Artist:Queens of the Stone Age
Cover:Queens of the Stone Age - In Times New Roman....png
Studio:
Genre:
Length:47:37
Label:Matador
Producer:Queens of the Stone Age
Prev Title:Villains
Prev Year:2017

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. It was announced in a video teaser on May 9, 2023, and is the band's first album since Villains (2017).[3] The announcement occurred alongside the release of the lead single, "Emotion Sickness".[4] The band is currently touring North America and Europe in support of the record.[5] [6] In Times New Roman... marks the conclusion of the band's trilogy of albums released through Matador that began with ...Like Clockwork (2013).

Recording

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,[4] as well as at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La studio in Malibu, California.[7]

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...:

Critical reception

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. 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". 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."[8]

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".

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".

Personnel

Queens of the Stone Age

Additional musicians

Technical

Visuals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] 2
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[10] 30
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] 1
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12] 19
US Billboard 200[13] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 79

Notes and References

  1. Queens of the Stone Age Dial Back the Intensity with In Times New Roman.... Exclaim!. Nafekh-Blanchette. Spencer. June 15, 2023. June 16, 2023.
  2. Desert rock superstars Queens of the Stone Age have returned to retain their crown. Classic Rock. Johnston. Emma. June 16, 2023. June 17, 2023.
  3. Queens of the Stone Age Combat 'Emotion Sickness' Ahead Of New LP. Spin. Cohen. Jonathan. May 11, 2023. May 11, 2023.
  4. Web site: Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album In Times New Roman..., Share Song: Listen. Pitchfork. Minsker. Evan. May 11, 2023. May 11, 2023.
  5. Web site: Listen to a teaser of new Queens of the Stone Age music. NME. Duran. Anagricel. May 9, 2023. May 11, 2023.
  6. Web site: Queens of the Stone Age Announce 2023 North American Tour. Consequence. Spencer. Kaufman. June 6, 2023. June 6, 2023.
  7. Web site: Queens of the Stone Age Announce New Album In Times New Roman..., Share "Emotion Sickness": Stream. Consequence. Anderson. Carys. May 11, 2023. May 11, 2023.
  8. Web site: Queens of the Stone Age In Times New Roman... Review: A Familiar Musical Language. Slant Magazine. Barrett. Fred. June 12, 2023. June 15, 2023.
  9. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 26, 2023. June 23, 2023.
  10. Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of July 1, 2023. Billboard. June 27, 2023.
  11. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. June 26, 2023. June 24, 2023.
  12. Web site: Veckolista Album, vecka 25. Sverigetopplistan. June 23, 2023.
  13. Web site: Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing at a Time' Hits 14 Weeks Atop Billboard 200, Most Since Adele's '21'. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. June 25, 2023. June 25, 2023.
  14. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2023. Ultratop. nl. January 7, 2024.