Era Vulgaris (album) - Overview and Background

Overview and Background

While 2002's Songs for the Deaf was said to be inspired by Josh Homme's tedious drive through the Southern Californian desert, the inspiration for Era Vulgaris came from Homme's daily drive through Hollywood. He described the record as "dark, hard, and electrical, sort of like a construction worker," "…it's like dirt, clearly seen." The album's title Era Vulgaris refers to the Latin term for Common Era. The title was chosen by Homme because he thought "it sounds like 'the Vulgar Era', which I like, because that sounds like something that I would like to be part of… I mean I think we're in it, and I'm stoked".

Two tracks from the album had previously been released or performed elsewhere. "Into the Hollow" had been performed by producers Josh Homme and Chris Goss as The 5:15ers, and "Make It wit Chu" had been recorded as a Desert Sessions track, as well as appearing on the Queens' live album Over the Years and Through the Woods.