For this, the latest Queens Of The Stone Age opus it appears that Josh Homme has kept the amount of collaboration to a minimum when compared to the huge roll call of additional contributions on 2005's “Lullabies To Paralyze”. Although there does seem to be a certain amount of smoke and mirrors about who has actually played on “Era Vulgaris”, so much so that, after much searching about, I can just about confirm that the only guest appearance on “Era Vulgaris” seems to be The Strokes' Julian Casablancas on “Sick, Sick, Sick”. Their certainly doesn't seem to be any evidence of longtime collaborator Mark Lanegan anywhere - and that's despite his presence being alluded to in various snippets of online press. 

Quite why all the mystery seems to be, well, a mystery! It could be all part of the enigma that is a certain Mr. Joshua Homme. It's difficult to know. What is for sure though is that with their 5^th album QOTSA seem to be treading water somewhat. The best illustration of  this is “Make It Wit Chu” which first appeared on the Desert Sessions 9&10 set back in 2003 and despite a reworked vocal it still sounds like The Doors' “Hello I Love You”. 

Along with the stripped down list of additional musicians there is, in the main, a leaner, more insistent Queens sound. Although most of the trademark elements are still present and correct, Homme still has an ear for the quirky, off-kilter melody and delivers his vocals in his own inimitable style and on “Run Pig Run” there's a rhythm so powerful that it pummels you into submission like the distant cousin of “First It Giveth” but this is the exception rather than the rule on “Era Vulgaris”. 

As a collection of songs this album is okay but when you've come to expect excellence from the band then just okay is a huge disappointment. “Turnin The Screw”, “Sick, Sick, Sick” and “3's & 7's” all have angular riffs and odd rhythms and grooves but there's nothing here to hold a candle to “Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret”, “Regular John”, “No-one Knows” or “Little Sister” and that is a great shame.