User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
...Like Clockwork Image
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 46 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 447 Ratings

  • Summary: The sixth full-length studio release for the Josh Homme-led rock band includes Dave Grohl on drums as well as guest vocals from Brody Dalle, Alain Johannes, Elton John, Mark Lanegan, Trent Reznor, Jake Shears, Alex Turner, and former bassist Nick Oliveri.
Buy Now
Buy on

Top Track

I Sat By the Ocean
I sat by the ocean And drank a potion Baby, to erase you Face down in the Boulevard Yet I couldn't face you There ain't no use in crying It doesn't... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 46
  2. Negative: 1 out of 46
  1. Mojo
    Jun 17, 2013
    100
    An album truly fit to do battle with the rock classics of any age. [Jul 2013, p.80]
  2. Jun 10, 2013
    90
    ...Like Clockwork is easily the best release from the band since Songs for the Deaf.
  3. Jul 3, 2013
    89
    Like Clockwork: great for rock & roll, great for culture, great for the world.
  4. May 30, 2013
    80
    Song for song, however, this is the best QOTSA album in a decade, delivering all the swagger and skew of their greatest work without rehashing it.
  5. The band return to the slow-and-low, sinister alt-boogie that made their name, with Homme's satisfying dirty badass guitar sound in full effect.
  6. Jun 3, 2013
    73
    Fittingly for a band that’s spent the past few years retooling itself, it takes some time for Queens to shake off the cobwebs and get back to full strength.
  7. Magnet
    Jul 17, 2013
    35
    Queens Of The Stone Age lumbers its way through a series of increasingly skronky, sludge-by-numbers jams and sound. [No. 100, p.57]

See all 46 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 86
  2. Negative: 1 out of 86
  1. Jun 4, 2013
    10
    While it may be a well worn platitude, "good things come to those who wait" has never been more true. And "good things" on ...Like ClockworkWhile it may be a well worn platitude, "good things come to those who wait" has never been more true. And "good things" on ...Like Clockwork abound. From the haunted house monster stomp of the album's opener "Keep Your Eyes Peeled", the arena rock bravado of "Fairweather Friends", to the melodic melancholy of the eponymous album closer, it is some of JHo and Company's most adventurous work to date. And yet, never at any point did I wonder if it was QOTSA. A triumph. Expand
  2. Dec 8, 2013
    10
    I'm a fan. I have listened to these guys since rated R. After era vulgaris and some mediocre super group experimentation, I kinda thoughtI'm a fan. I have listened to these guys since rated R. After era vulgaris and some mediocre super group experimentation, I kinda thought Qotsa was doomed. I was wrong. Like clock work is good. I'm going to be listening to it for years to come(supposing I live for years to come). It's not everyone's cup of tea, but give it a try if you enjoy something that doesn't fit into the boring mold of aggressive rock. take a dash of crunchy groove mix well with surreal imagery, pepper with arrogance, whip in some humility, and top with mystery; repeat as needed and enjoy. Expand
  3. Feb 13, 2016
    10
    ...Like Clockwork is one of the few albums were I find every song in the album excellent. I have no problem with this album whatsoever, it...Like Clockwork is one of the few albums were I find every song in the album excellent. I have no problem with this album whatsoever, it could be called a masterpiece, if you will.

    We have some pure stoner rock tracks throughout the album, while still having a few melancholy piano driven tracks that inject much more emotion to the record.

    Do not hesitate in checking out this album, and this is coming from a guy who recently discovered the band. I love this album to its core and it deserves to be along the best of the best.

    Stand-outs: I Sat by the Ocean, If I Had a Tail, My God is the Sun, Fairweather Friends, I Appear Missing
    Expand
  4. Jun 11, 2013
    9
    So far so good, QotSA have delivered a lot of titles, some famous (Little Sister, Go with the Flow, Make it With Chu), some unknown (You thinkSo far so good, QotSA have delivered a lot of titles, some famous (Little Sister, Go with the Flow, Make it With Chu), some unknown (You think i ain't worth a dollar[...]) but all of them were good. But this album, man this album is almost perfect The overture with "Keep your eyes peeled" is not well chosen, but the rest of the album is just a pure pleasure to your ears. With some dancing titles like "Smooth Sailing" or "Salt by the Ocean", some angry one like "My god is the sun" or "If I Had a tail" and beautiful ballads like "The Vampire of time and memories" this album is, so far, one of the best 2013's album !
    The only regret i have is that this album could have been more "constructed" if only the order of some titles could have been change while the transitions are perfect once the 4th title reach.
    A must have for everyone who love good music and a masterpiece for QotSA's Fans
    Expand
  5. Oct 31, 2013
    9
    This is a very good rock album and may very well be the rock album of the year. Not only is the rock intense, but many of the songs containThis is a very good rock album and may very well be the rock album of the year. Not only is the rock intense, but many of the songs contain catchy hooks and solos. I especially love the solo of I Sat by The Ocean. Would definitely recommend this album. Expand
  6. Mar 9, 2015
    9
    The Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock bank from Palm Desert, California, and were formed in 1996. The bands line up features JoshThe Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock bank from Palm Desert, California, and were formed in 1996. The bands line up features Josh Homme performing the lead vocals and guitar, and occasionally the piano, Troy Van Leeuwen playing the guitar, Michael Shuman playing the bass guitar, and Jon Theodore playing the drums. QOTSA have released six albums as of now, however the fifth album, Era Vulgaris was released in 2006. There was a long five years before their next album was released in 2011, ...Like Clockwork. The album ...Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age begins with the track “Keep Your Eyes Peeled”. This track starts off with a fuzzy, slow, yet aggressive bass line. It further develops into a spacey and ominous song, yet it has a very clearly defined rhythm. Starting the album with this song gave me the impression that the album was going to be a little bit like Songs for the Deaf and Era Vulgaris combined, however the content of the album varies greatly. This album features some harder rock/stoner rock songs, like “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” and “Kalopsia”. “Kalopsia” starts off with a very spacey and peaceful intro and then develops into a more driven and harder sound, while maintaining the same time signature. This part is relatively short, and afterwards the song goes back into its spacey and peaceful mood. There are also some very slow and elegant sounding songs on the album, such as “...Like Clockwork” and “The Vampyre of Time and Memory”. “...Like Clockwork” happens to be my personal favorite track on this album. It is a very pretty sounding song with heavy emphasis on the piano and slow and mysterious sounding vocals. It isn't all focused on the piano, as the guitar plays two very simple, yet great weeping solos. The album also features some more stereotypical rock tracks, such as “I Sat By The Ocean” and “If I Had a Tail”. Both of these songs feature a very standard song structure and aren't too experimental. The album closes with the song “…Like Clockwork”, which gives the listener a good sense of closure due to it's pretty yet melancholic sound. The album as a whole focuses on combining their older sound with some slower tempos and more experimental sounds. It's safe to say that the album doesn't feature one “bad” song, which is unusual for any album. In fact, this album is very well balanced. Every track is very good in its own way, and as for the ones that I didn't like at first, they grew on me significantly. ...Like Clockwork is one of their better albums, and I believe that it is one of the more solid modern albums available right now. Expand
  7. Dec 1, 2013
    2
    This album is so desperate for an identity by featuring a multitude of guest musicians, but it leaves a very disjointed, schizophrenic feelingThis album is so desperate for an identity by featuring a multitude of guest musicians, but it leaves a very disjointed, schizophrenic feeling that just never accomplishes anything worthwhile. Outside of "My God Is The Sun" (thanks for the first single, giving me the impression the whole album would sound that way), nothing on this brick is listenable.

    So you were hospitalized. The album is as boring as the inspiration for the tracks. The upsetting part is that if there weren't complications with his surgery, we would have had a second Them Crooked Vultures album. I feel robbed.

    Josh Homme can't steer the ship by himself. He's great guitarist but an average singer, and benefits much from his celebrity friends to flesh out songs. However, too many cooks ruined the stew here.

    One good song. Skip this terrible album.
    Expand

See all 86 User Reviews

Related Articles

  1. 2013 Music Critic Top Ten Lists

    2013 Music Critic Top Ten Lists Image
    Published: December 4, 2013
    Throughout the coming weeks, we'll be collecting year-end top 10 album lists from dozens of music critics, publications, record stores, and other sources. Find individual lists and this year's cumulative rankings inside.