There comes a time in every band's life when it must accept its fate. For Queens of the Stone Age, that means embracing the old-metal wrought-iron heart that beats at the center of the band's roomy melodies. Anointed as the new Nirvana in 1998, the California quartet was actually proof of how much the pop scene missed Nirvana. With "Songs for the Deaf," the Queens get louder and weirder and let their bone-bred artiness run loose. This is prog grunge for the unpretentious, and it's funny as hell as the band settles into the arena-rock stylings that come naturally.