Them Crooked Vultures

Yet again another “supergroup.” Them Crooked Vultures unlike resent incarnations are just that, even if the album doesn’t quite get there. It is under normal standers an excellent album. Nevertheless, under ridicules expectations or pessimism it struggles slightly.

I would side Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Probot, Queens of the Stone Age), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Eagles of Death Metal) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin)’s little project on the side of supergroup history with the likes of A Perfect Circle, perhaps not Tomahawk, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Fantomas or Cream. Well ahead of Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, Peeping Tom, Ozzy Ozborn and The Dead Weather. Thankfully not with the likes of Bad Company, Bad English, Journey (Don’t Stop Believing…aside), Don Dokken, Damn Yankees, Velvet Revolver, Oysterhead and perhaps the worst ever…Chickenfoot.

I would note that the album graphic design is top rate and builds an iconography deserving of this class. While the album certainly is dominated by the aesthetics Grohl and Homme created with QOTSA’s Songs for the Deaf there is hints of strangely a Cream or a Rolling Stones feel…not necessarily a Zepplin one with Jones presence. The harmonizing falls either in classic QOTSA or a Cream sound. The additional touches sometimes feel Stones. Over all this is a solid contemporary rock album that you would expect from these three. It is nuanced yet drives. It would make for a great show…I may have to ad them to the bucket list.