Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme Discusses ‘Deeper, Richer, Stranger’ New Album

Queens of the Stone Age are working hard to finish up their first new album since 2007's 'Era Vulgaris,' and singer Josh Homme says it's not exactly been the easiest disc to put together but that he thinks the end result will provide a "deeper," "richer" and "stranger" listening experience.

Speaking with BBC's Radio 1 (via NME), the vocalist revealed, "[There are] a lot of struggles going on, but I'll spare you all the gory details." Admittedly, there have been some stops and starts since their last album back in 2007, but Homme and the rest of his band got back on track earlier this year.

As for the direction of the disc, the vocalist explained, "I think this record is a little more lyrically vulnerable, but I also think it's sort of musically deeper and richer and it's a little bit stranger. This whole record basically sounds like you're running in a dream the whole time."

While former Queens bassist Nick Oliveri and Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor turn up as "contributors" to the effort, Dave Grohl is on board for the entire disc, taking his spot behind the drumkit with Queens for the first time since 2002's 'Songs for the Deaf' album.

Grohl recently stated of the freedom he feels playing with the band, "With Queens of the Stone Age, like, there were no boundaries with that band, there were no limits with them, it was like if you did something insane, you’d do more, if you did something that seemed too ridiculous — and honestly the new Queens of the Stone Age record, I’m playing drums on that, and I’ll do something so completely ridiculous, I’ll just, like, ‘There’s no way that that Josh isn’t going to let me do that,’ and he’ll say, ‘Do that for forty-five seconds, over and over again, that’s become, like, part of the song, that is a big part of the song,’ and that’s the way they work.”

The group already announced a handful of shows next year and a full album is expected to arrive in 2013.