10 Best Hard Rock Albums Since 2010
2. Queens Of The Stone Age - Like Clockwork
Joshua Homme's life was not in the greatest of places as Queens of the Stone Age were entering their next decade together. After a standard surgery on his knee, Homme was hospitalized for months after a bad reaction to the procedure almost killed him. The recuperation period resulted in Homme slipping into a slow depression as he struggled to come to terms with not making music.
Once he was released, QOTSA went on tour, which helped reignite the spark to make new music. As a result, Like Clockwork is one of the greatest artistic feats in the band's career, as each track settles the listener into a hypnotic state. This album also saw an all-star cast of musicians from Dave Grohl to Trent Reznor to Elton John. On songs like "Smooth Sailing" and "My God Is the Sun," Homme's guitar parts sink into your brain like a smooth shot of liquor.
After his brush with death, Homme took this next shot at life to make music that threw caution to the wind at every turn on Like Clockwork. The record stands as a modern marvel for the desert rockers with songs that have only gotten better with time.