Eagles of Death Metal, 'Heart On'

The buzz: After surviving a messy divorce and drug addiction, Jesse Hughes found salvation in music, transforming himself into Eagles of Death Metal leader “Boots Electric,” a mustachioed sultan of sex schooled in the fine arts of fuzzy garage rock. He’s aided mightily in his mission by childhood friend and rock titan Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who beats up his drums and does all the production and mixing.

The verdict: Three albums in, the song remains the same for EODM; like AC/DC, they’ve found their niche, and it involves making a racket and singing about the ladies. “Heart On” carries that flag with even more fervor than its predecessors. Hughes and Homme go for swagger over subtlety, tearing into sleazy-sounding riffs and eye-rolling lyrics with obvious enthusiasm. Highlights include a rollicking set of barroom bookends (opener “Anything ‘Cept the Truth” and closer “I’m Your Torpedo”) and a melodic midsection that admits even tough guys get their hearts broken (the title track and “Now I’m a Fool”).

Did you know? Is your appetite for raw rock matched only by your appetite for heart-shaped pancakes covered in chocolate and fruit? You’re in luck! Head to Denny’s, where you can dig into one of the more unusual pieces of music marketing this year: a custom-made late-night menu item created by ol’ Boots Electric himself.

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