"The Vampyre of Time and Memory" | |
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Promotional single by Queens of the Stone Age | |
from the album ...Like Clockwork | |
Released | November 2013 |
Recorded | August 9, 2012 –March 9, 2013 at Pink Duck Studios in Burbank, California |
Genre | |
Length | 3:34 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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"The Vampyre of Time and Memory" is a song by the American band Queens of the Stone Age, from their sixth studio album, ...Like Clockwork . Written by Josh Homme, the song was released as a promotional single in November 2013.
The band performed the track live on Conan on October 30, 2013. [1] [2] An interactive music video for the song was also released on November 18, 2013. [3]
Jason Heller of The A.V. Club described the song as "insidiously catchy." [4] Leonie Cooper of NME wrote that the song "is a startlingly low-key piano hymnal, even with its flashes of Giorgio Moroder synths and cocaine-soul guitar solo," while comparing the confessional lyrics and the power ballad melody to the works of Fleetwood Mac. [5] Kitty Empire of The Observer also compared the song to the works of David Bowie during the 1970s. [6] Hywel Roberts similarly wrote that the song "is a piano driven Bond-esque track with Homme sounding really very similar to David Bowie in the opening verse. [7] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork Media stated that the song "strains too hard in its attempt at an early-70s John Lennon piano ballad." [8]
In his track-by-track review, Gary Graff of Billboard wrote: "This dark power ballad starts with just Homme's voice and piano before filling out into an angsty but tuneful lament." [9] Sharon O'Connell of Uncut stated that elements of electronica are added to a backdrop of the song "that taps, Eric Clapton, Queen and early-’70s Elton John." [10]
A teaser trailer for the interactive music video was released on October 28, 2013, [11] while the video itself was officially released on November 18, 2013. [3] It was directed by Kii Arens and Jason Trucco, in partnership with the Creators Project. [12]
The video shows "embalmed-looking Josh Homme" and rest of the band performing in a set of increasingly macabre locales, including "a taxidermist’s parlor," accompanied by "two maids and one voodoo priestess." [12] [13] The viewers of the interactive video are able to tour "a haunted house" which the band is performing in and flip through the song's lyrics. [14] [15]
The regular version of the music video was also released on YouTube. [3] [12]
Ms. Dolly Boyd plays the role of the voodoo priestess.