Originally formed in 1996, QOTSA has been an anomaly in the past few decades: A smart, critically acclaimed hard-rock band that’s not really indie, not really metal, and nowhere close to mainstream rock groups such as Nickelback and Five Finger Death Punch.

I invited super-fan Zoe Camp — a writer for Pitchfork, Spin, and the Village Voice, among other places — to help me assess QOTSA’s various incarnations, all of which are anchored by the band’s eternally cool frontman, Josh Homme.

We debate whether Rated R or Songs For The Deaf is QOTSA’s best LP, whether “middle period” records like Lullabies To Paralyze and Era Vulgaris are underrated, whether Eagles Of Death Metal can hold a candle to Them Crooked Vultures, and if this band belongs with the very best rock acts of the modern era.