Josh Homme says Dave Grohl was an ''amazing friend'' while recording '... Like Clockwork'.

Flame-haired rocker Josh turned to his good friend to help out with Queens Of The Stone Age's upcoming album after having to let drummer Joey Castillo go from the band.

Josh told ShortList magazine: ''It was a tough record to make. So tough, in fact, that I had to let Joey go, who I had been playing with for 10 years.

''So I needed to call my friend Dave and say, 'Dude I need your help.' We needed the guests because they're our friends. This record's [been] a f***ing bitch to make...''

Dave - who fronts Foo Fighters - previously drummed on the band's 'Songs for the Deaf' album, but Josh insists his input alone isn't what makes the album doesn't make the .

Josh said: ''Dave has been there at these pivotal moments, but since he didn't write much of the music, I guess if someone thought it was just because of Dave I'd be like, 'Oh God, ouch!'

Josh also credits Dave with turning the atmosphere in the studio around from being difficult to enjoyable, with Josh crediting his sense of humour for helping get through the ''awful'' times.

He added: ''That's one of the things we have in common; when things are really awful they are at their funniest.''