Everything about Kyuss totally explained
» This article is about the band. For the fictional deity, see Kyuss (Greyhawk)
Kyuss (
KAI-us) was an influential
stoner rock band, originally from
Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums before splitting up in 1995. Since then, members of Kyuss went on to form or feature in several notable bands including
Queens of the Stone Age,
Fu Manchu,
Unida,
Mondo Generator,
Hermano and
Slo Burn.
History
As Sons of Kyuss (pre-1990)
The band formed in the late 1980s under the name Katzenjammer (literally 'screaming cats'- used colloquially to describe a hangover) before settling on the name
Sons of Kyuss in 1989. The name Sons of Kyuss was taken from a
creature found in the
Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Homme commented that playing in the desert "was the shaping factor for the band" noting that "there's no clubs here, so you can only play for free. If people don't like you, they'll tell you. You can't suck." However, guitarist Josh Homme soon gained a reputation for his downtuned,
psychedelic style of guitar playing, and his convention of playing electric guitars through bass guitar amplifiers to create a bass-heavy sound.
In 1992 the band, along with producer
Chris Goss, began work on their next album,
Blues for the Red Sun. Released in June that year, the album was critically hailed and is often regarded as a pioneering
stoner rock record. By the end of 1993 they were invited to open nine dates for
Metallica touring
Australia. just before touring in support of
Blues for the Red Sun, bassist Nick Oliveri left the band and was replaced by
Scott Reeder.
The band then signed with
Elektra Records (Dali Records had hit financial problems) and released
Welcome to Sky Valley in 1994. The album received critical acclaim and, musically, demonstrated a much more psychedelic sound. However, personal problems soon tore the group apart and drummer Brant Bjork left following a brief tour of the album, to be replaced by
Alfredo Hernández. In July 1995, they released their fourth and final album,
...And the Circus Leaves Town. The album wasn't as successful as
Sky Valley, though a video was made for "
One Inch Man", the album's only official single thus far.
Shortly after its release, Kyuss decided to disband in October of that year. Many sources claim the band didn't "officially" break up until 1996 or 1997, but this appears to be false.
Post-break up (1996-present)
Shortly after the break up, Homme and Hernandez rejoined to form
Queens of the Stone Age, and soon recruited Oliveri as permanent bassist. In December 1997, a transitional split EP was released, featuring three songs by Kyuss ("Into The Void" (a
Black Sabbath cover), "Fatso Forgotso" and "Flip the Phase") and three by Queens of the Stone Age ("
If Only Everything", "Born to Hula" and "Spiders & Vinegaroons"). The band has since gone on to achieve international mainstream success.
Hernandez later played with
Fatso Jetson,
Che and
Yawning Man, while Oliveri later formed the band
Mondo Generator, named after the only Kyuss song credited solely (words and music) to him. Drummer
Brant Bjork went on to form the band
Brant Bjork and the Bros, recorded and performed with
Fu Manchu, and has recorded several solo albums.
John Garcia went on to form
Slo Burn, although the band was short-lived and released only one EP,
Amusing the Amazing, before disbanding in September 1997. In 1998 he began working with the bands
Unida and
Hermano, with each he's recorded two records. Garcia is now working on a solo album.
In 2000, a compilation album,, was released. The album was a collection of the band's most important singles, but also contained B-sides and four songs recorded live in 1994.
Although the band left behind a lot of rarities, some of them were released on their best of album
Muchas Gracias, it seems unlikely any more will be released. Singer John Garcia told
Billboard.com in a 2005 interview:
QOTSA.com
, a Kyuss fan asked about the possibility of a reunion. Homme replied that this was unlikely to happen in the near future. However, on
December 20 2005, Garcia made a guest appearance onstage with Queens of the Stone Age during the encore of their set at the
Wiltern LG in Los Angeles. They performed three Kyuss songs together: "Thumb", "Hurricane" and "Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop". The band has been made numerous offers to reform, all of which they've turned down:
Members
Discography
Studio albums
EPs, split releases, and compilations
Singles
Videography
"Thong Song" – 1992
"Green Machine" – 1992
"Demon Cleaner" – 1994
"One Inch Man" – 1995
Samples
Further Information
Get more info on 'Kyuss'.
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