What a way to start the day. We just went to the world's first ever playback of the new Queens of the Stone Age album, 'Era Vulgaris'. Well, nine tracks of it at least. And since it finished literally minutes ago, we're quietly confident that this is the first 'review' anywhere in the world.

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A little background: 'Era Vulgaris' translates as 'common era', an opposite notation to the calender category 'ano domini' - "in the year of our Lord". So the Era Vulgaris effectively means 'the age without God'. We think. It has something to do with the Gregorian calendar.

'Era Vulgaris' the album is a step further into Pagan psychedelia, tighter and leaner than 'Lullabies To Paralyse' while going yet further into Hansel and Gretelish strangeness. It also features the song 'Make It Witchu' from the Desert Sessions, which they played on the last tour, and used to have Mark Langegan singing, but now has Josh. And it is, of course, ace.

Here, for your delectation, is the almost-tracklisting, complete with one-word descriptions...

'Turning On The Screw' (psych)
'Sick Sick Sick' (thump)
'Into The Hollow' (bounce)
'Battery Acid' (sludge)
'River In The Road' (Cydonia)
'Suture Up Your Future' (stoned)
'3s and 7s' (wonky)
'I'm Designer' (earthquake)
'Make It Witchu' (croonerish)

As soon as SXSW climaxes, TMI is doing a bit of a rock piligrimage to the Joshua Tree, home of Desert Sessions HQ the Rancho de la Luna, to lose our minds at the heart of rock'n'roll darkness. If we're lucky we might even get to quiz Josh about his new opus...