Released on 09/01/06
Label: Interscope

"Burn The Witch" is precisely what makes Queens Of The Stone Age such an untouchable force, and what also made them the greatest pound-for-pound rock'n'roll band in the world on 2002's destroying "Songs For The Deaf" album. Now shorn of much of that imperious line-up - Dave Grohl, Mark Lanegan and, rather sadly, the sacked Nick Oliveri - founding Queen Josh Homme retains a bloodthirsty skill that cannot be intimidated despite being three men down and in the presence of a witch.

It's the dark, brutal weirdness at work here that makes this, the latest single from the occasionally flooring "Lullabies To Paralyze" LP, worth your time. Beginning with a sinister, mumbled cat-call to, of course, "Burn The Witch", Queens slaughter slowly towards their victim in some sort of bizarre waltz signature, as the time to execute and "burn in hell" moves ever closer.

However, the best moment on this EP comes after the three rabid extra live tracks. During Queens' long-awaited and five times cancelled summer show at Brixton Academy, the drop-dead cool Homme decimates a rude member of the audience by having all the house lights turned on him and calling the fool in question "a cock-smoking f*ck-hole". Heavyweight swearing from a heavyweight band.

    by Ben Gilbert