Villains
by Queens of the Stone Age
  • Record Label: Matador
  • Release Date: Aug 25, 2017
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 233 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 180 out of 233
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 233
  3. Negative: 21 out of 233
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  1. stgrunu
    Mar 18, 2018
    4
    Decent album but it's really forgettable and some tracks go for far too long. The only standout track is the closer, which is a 10/10 on an album full of 3-4/10s.
  2. RobotoMr
    Aug 26, 2017
    4
    It's not that the songs are horrible, it just sounds like they made a program that generates QOTSA sounding music and sometimes it strikes gold.

    The 1 song I liked on this was 'The Evil Has Landed'. It sounds like a more professional and crisper version of the QOTSA I'm used to. It's got that ripping guitar sound, Josh getting lose with his vocals and the song changes pace often    It's not that the songs are horrible, it just sounds like they made a program that generates QOTSA sounding music and sometimes it strikes gold.

    The 1 song I liked on this was 'The Evil Has Landed'. It sounds like a more professional and crisper version of the QOTSA I'm used to. It's got that ripping guitar sound, Josh getting lose with his vocals and the song changes pace often throughout the song.

    The other song I didn't mine was 'Villains Of Circumstance'. It has a really nice bass, again Josh sounds comfortable just using all his voice.
    I only wish that the first 7 songs had even 50% of what makes these 2 songs great.    … Expand
  3. abc123efg456hij
    Sep 13, 2017
    4
    I'd really like to give this album a lower rating, but I have embraced the band through its directional shifts to date after being thoroughly moved by their first three albums. This album is an exercise in "it should be liked" and "we're going to create chaotic arrangements to be different." It simply doesn't work. It is, in fact, more of a pop album than a rock album. What bothers me moreI'd really like to give this album a lower rating, but I have embraced the band through its directional shifts to date after being thoroughly moved by their first three albums. This album is an exercise in "it should be liked" and "we're going to create chaotic arrangements to be different." It simply doesn't work. It is, in fact, more of a pop album than a rock album. What bothers me more than the fact that this is a weak effort is the rabid nature of some "fans" who insist not only that it is somehow approaching masterpiece status, but you have less than zero musical taste if you disagree. Rated R, whether you view it and SFTD as "ancient" or "archaic" etc., made a far greater statement with far less fuss. No, I don't need that album or SFTD on infinite repeat. Era Vulgaris, for example, has grown on me tremendously. I like more of EV, for example, than Clockwork (I like maybe half of LC ... the piano ballads and pseudo "big" statement pieces leave me cold). I find the promo videos for Villains for compelling than the album. If this album moves you, great; but if you're a longtime QOTSA fan, you might be left scratching your head. As one reviewer stated, it seems as though some younger fans, maybe those who got into QOTSA as teens, feel they simply must view this album as the inevitable masterpiece they so desperately want it to be. It isn't. It feels like a significant nod to attempting to be more accepted by a certain element in the entertainment industry today. If it makes QOTSA a lot of money, I'm all for that. I just can't listen to the #(&(*)#*#(@*&#*$* thing.… Expand
  4. Deadtenor
    Aug 25, 2017
    6
    Not terrible, but not great. Missing a lot of the crunch and sludge rock from earlier material, but I did notice much more synth which is a bit of a stylistic departure. I realize taste is subjective, but I can't help but feel that all the professional reviews somehow missed the mark, especially reviews of 90 or 100. Past the first song Feet Don't Fail Me, the first half of the albumNot terrible, but not great. Missing a lot of the crunch and sludge rock from earlier material, but I did notice much more synth which is a bit of a stylistic departure. I realize taste is subjective, but I can't help but feel that all the professional reviews somehow missed the mark, especially reviews of 90 or 100. Past the first song Feet Don't Fail Me, the first half of the album is filler. Half the tracks are uninspired generic rock sound that is missing that distinctive QoTSA sound. The second half it picks up with Head like a Haunted House. After listening to it 3 or 4 times back to back, the album let's you gloss over the flaws of Villains.… Expand
  5. macq
    Aug 29, 2017
    5
    I gave this record a lot of spins mainly because QOTSA used to be my favourite band. It was boring the first time I listened to it and the feeling hasn't changed since.
  6. Havermans
    Aug 26, 2017
    6
    It's not quite bad, but not quite good either. Eventhough its supposed to be a new vibe and a new wind in the QTSA era, it just all feels to familiar. It's nowhere near the previous albums of Queens of the stone Age, but it's all very repetitive and very poppy music which feels very heard before. The nummers don't have any crunch, the riffs feel flattened and fake and the whole albumIt's not quite bad, but not quite good either. Eventhough its supposed to be a new vibe and a new wind in the QTSA era, it just all feels to familiar. It's nowhere near the previous albums of Queens of the stone Age, but it's all very repetitive and very poppy music which feels very heard before. The nummers don't have any crunch, the riffs feel flattened and fake and the whole album sounds like one long song. I can dig a few songs on the album, which were previously released as singles. The Way You Used to was a catchy and good represenation of the sound QTSA want to bring, but the rest of the album feels forced as it lacks what The Way You Used To brings. For me this album is nothing special. It's ok, but i'll take ...Like Clockwork or Songs for the Deaf any day.… Expand
  7. justachair
    Aug 27, 2017
    5
    It seems Josh Homme enjoyed himself quite a bit in his ventures into 70s Highway Rock with projects like Eagles of Death Metal and Iggy Pop's Post Pop Depression, because he is now going further into that direction with his signature band, one I've always enjoyed for their heavy riffs and bangers, and Hommes' silky melodic vocals.
    So, yeah, this is an EODM album disguised as a QOTSA lp. A    It seems Josh Homme enjoyed himself quite a bit in his ventures into 70s Highway Rock with projects like Eagles of Death Metal and Iggy Pop's Post Pop Depression, because he is now going further into that direction with his signature band, one I've always enjoyed for their heavy riffs and bangers, and Hommes' silky melodic vocals.
    So, yeah, this is an EODM album disguised as a QOTSA lp. A short, non-threatening and to the point nostalgia trip to retro hard rock with an rough but also pristine production by Mark Ronson. There are good songs here, mainly the opening track Feet Don't Fail Me with its prog structure, the leading singles The Way You Used to Do and The Evil Has Landed, and the awesome, heart-attack inducing Head Like a Haunted House. But then we have the awfully repetitive Domesticated Animals, the Katy Perry level of songwriting in the unremarkable Fortress, and a bunch of forgettable dad rock songs like Hideaway. Is it bad? No, their craftsmanship and frenetic energy still shows, but it would not be ludicrous to say that the quartet (Now a five-piece) is beginning to lose steam as time goes on.    … Expand
  8. jasharkowalski
    Aug 26, 2017
    5
    J H already gave his best in the band i won't mention its name but we all know who they are....this new cd has two songs with the kick, also has two crazy songs at the very end and nothing else....Queens should have released one great mini album rather than this half-baked stuff...
  9. Boxo
    Aug 28, 2017
    6
    I wanna love this album more than I do. There are some genuinely great tracks on this album. Feet Don't Fail Me, Evil Has Landed, Villains of Circumstance are amongst my favorites. But there are tracks like The Way You Used to Do, Fortress, Domesticated Animals where the mixing honestly gives me a headache. A single guitar is mixed all the way in my left ear for many of these tracks andI wanna love this album more than I do. There are some genuinely great tracks on this album. Feet Don't Fail Me, Evil Has Landed, Villains of Circumstance are amongst my favorites. But there are tracks like The Way You Used to Do, Fortress, Domesticated Animals where the mixing honestly gives me a headache. A single guitar is mixed all the way in my left ear for many of these tracks and ends making my head pound midway through the album - and not in a good way.

    Head Like A Haunted House has one of the poppiest bridges I have ever heard on a QotSA song. Its honestly somewhat jarring considering the rest of the song is very Little Sister-esque.

    None of the songs are necessarily bad or poorly written. The mixing just bugs me and makes me never want to listen to them back. Many, such as Hideaway and Un-Reborn Again are boring or bland and the songs seem to sort of blend together with one another after a while. But, even with that said, there's a lot of good in this album. If you can get past the left ear abuse.    … Expand
  10. Scraper
    Nov 14, 2017
    5
    I feel like Homme is featuring more of himself stylishly instead of letting it happen naturally. Since the last album, he's indulged himself with more creative song arrangements and techniques like intros of echoes in damp hallways and too often pumping the brakes on the rhythm so he can coo into the listeners ear - very noticeably channeling Bowie, which you can't fault for the homage toI feel like Homme is featuring more of himself stylishly instead of letting it happen naturally. Since the last album, he's indulged himself with more creative song arrangements and techniques like intros of echoes in damp hallways and too often pumping the brakes on the rhythm so he can coo into the listeners ear - very noticeably channeling Bowie, which you can't fault for the homage to one of the greats. It's hard getting over a lot of single note progression riffs that minimize the songs when you want them to explode. There are some cool songs here and I appreciate the maturation of this band but I feel like it's a bit too careful.… Expand
  11. Andremax
    Jul 12, 2018
    6
    Sincerely, it is hoped much more of Homme. Nothing against pop vain (some QOTSA songs has it too), but for who have done "Songs for the Deaf", "Rated R" and "..Like Clockwork", he has more creativity that which is showed in this album. The expectation was giant, further being posterior album of this last one. Regular to Good.

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed Album of 2017
14
#14 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Magnet
    Sep 18, 2017
    90
    The results are both vintage QOTSA and something unnameable at the same time. [No. 146, p.58]
  2. PopMatters
    Sep 12, 2017
    70
    This record is strong from top to bottom, and another great entry into Queens of the Stone Age’s catalog.
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  3. Pretty Much Amazing
    Aug 30, 2017
    75
    Even though it doesn’t do nearly enough to distinguish itself from the band’s earlier albums, it’s an enjoyable enough listen that it’s not too hard to excuse its flaws.
    Read full review
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