Since the invasion of Iraq, British bands have turned their backs so firmly on US influences that coming across a hefty slice of American rock is a shock; in this case, a welcome one. Josh Homme clearly had no worries about continuing without Nick Olivieri. It is his band now, he’s taking it where he wants — back to the stoner-rock heartland of huge, rubbery guitars; into radio-friendly pop-rock territory, not so far from the Foo Fighters; out for a day trip to boogie through some blues-rock, with a little help from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons; or into the dark hinterland with PJ Harvey — and he doesn’t care what you think. Should you doubt his wisdom, he has the perfect response: yet another guitar riff. And they are not ironic: these are vast, gas-guzzling, off-road riffs with a ridiculous turning circle. But they don’t need to turn — they will flatten anything in their path. The strangest thing is the slow threesome (with Shirley Manson and Brody Dalle), You Got a Killer Scene. Homme clearly has.

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