Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band formed in California in the late 1990s around Josh Homme. Emerging from the desert-rock scene, the group developed a heavy, hypnotic and groove-driven sound blending stoner rock, hard rock, alternative rock, garage and psychedelic influences. With albums such as Rated R, Songs for the Deaf, ...Like Clockwork and In Times New Roman..., Queens of the Stone Age became one of the most influential and distinctive bands in modern alternative rock.