Them Crooked Vultures: S/T

When you take three of the biggest names in rock history and put them in a studio together, they're pretty much destined to make good music so to say that expectations were high for the Them Crooked Vultures' début is probably 2009's biggest understatement.

David Eric Grohl, Joshua Michael Homme and John Paul Jones are those exact three names referred to above and whilst they've each respectively helped shape the rock genre with their own focal music-projects, it is now, at the tail-end of 2009, that they have decided upon coming together under a single name to try and take over the rock-world. 

Do they succeed? As always, it really isn't as simple as just a 'yes' or 'no' answer.

They're a towering, untameable beast that's for certain, and while there are slower moments strewn across the wild CD, they're only to catch a breath before the next storm begins to brew. Thankfully, we're dealing with three well-experienced men (with a member that's had forty plus years in the rock scene) so melody amongst the mayhem is of course the main priority. Though the music is almost always intense, there's always a rhythm to follow, even when they diverge into more experimental territory.

Whilst we're on the topic of experimentalism, let us point out now that this is possibly some of the three members' most exploratory material to date. Songs frequently dip and dive into unexplored territory, throwing in psychedelics not seen on any Foo Fighters or QOTSA CD we've ever come across. Three of the songs hit way over the seven-minute mark and a couple aren't far off that too so it's also not as straightforward as any of the members other work either. At times it can drag - "Bandoliers" probably being the least appealing example on the record - but it's genuinely provoking to witness three rock-heroes fly more left-wing than expected.

Of course, we are talking about rock here so of course there's an ample offering of guitar-noodling and instrumental breaks to expect too. It's mostly Homme that gets to massage his ego as he's the only guitarist and again, while it can become tiresome on future listens, you can't deny his technical ability and precision and the same goes for Grohl's first-rate drumming and Jones' frenetic bass-playing.

Homme takes centre-stage as vocalist for the band too and it's here that many will form the conclusion that really, this is more Homme's record than Grohl or Jones, and in many respects you'd be right. He's a confident front-man in his primary day-job anyway and it's no different on here, with his unmistakable mix of rugged howls and sensual croons taking up 90% of the running time on the CD. There's also that ever-present QOTSA backdrop of a sweaty desert scene, sewing itself into his guitar chords and enunciation. On "Elephants", his words are distorted through a thousand gallons of fuzz and distortion as he spits aggressively like a madman with a broken megaphone. The lolloping instruments slot perfectly inside the vocal rhythm, forming a devilish, droning burst of raw, melodic energy that stands next to any of the best Queens or Foos we've heard in a good few years.

New single "New Fang" is a single for a reason and ticks every rock-anthem box ever created. Shouty, simple-in-rhythm vocals? Check. Hyperactive, catchy melody? Check. Heavy breaks and a thumping bass? Double check. It's all tightly-knit, crystal clear and suitably loud. It's one of the less diverging tracks (and one of the shortest to boot) but we bet it sounds outstanding live.

There are many, many highlights to be seen throughout the début Them Crooked Vultures L.P and the main reason why we've attempted to stray from listing their pros and cons monotonously here is because the record isn't about how fantastic or forgetful the individual songs are, it's about the celebration of a genre with three ageing musicians who can still muster some of the most well executed material in their field. When you're dealing with names as big as Homme, Grohl and Jones, you almost have to expect a slight major-label sheen but they manage to circumnavigate the ordinary discrepancies of typical American rock with a resounding passion for every bit of music they create, regardless of their popularity and time within the the industry.

It's not a musical landmark as both The Colour And The Shape and Songs For The Deaf have now become and it's probably about ten or fifteen minutes too long but when you're in the presence of three impeccably respectable musicians who are all still having just as much fun as they were ten years ago, it's easy to forgive their stumbles and get lost in the hour of craziness that they are currently and collectively offering out.