Kyuss

Stoner Rock

Kyuss (pronounced /ˈkaɪ.əs/ KYE-əs) is the corner stone of what is known as stoner rock or desert rock. Although deriving influence from 60s-70s hard rock, Kyuss churned out a unique sound. This was primarily because guitarist Josh Homme often tuned to a low C, a major third below standard pitch, but also singer John Garcia's paint stripping vocals. The band was originally formed in 1989 in Palm Desert, California under the name Sons of Kyuss. They took the name from a monster in Dungeons and Dragons. Shortly after the release of their self-titled EP, the name was shortened to just Kyuss. The quartet gained popularity around the desert due to their famous generator parties. These were parties fueled by gas generators in the canyons and isolated desert surrounding the small valley towns. The group disbanded in 1997. They felt that they were in a decline and felt it best to call it quits before it escalated into something that could not be fixed. The line up had shifted dramatically between 1989 and 1997. Josh Homme, John Garcia, Brant Bjork, and Chris Cockrell were the original members. Chris was replaced by Nick Oliveri during high school. That line up recorded Wretch (released in 1991) and Blues for the Red Sun (released in 1992), after which Nick soon left. The eighteen year older, but very able Scott Reeder from The Obsessed was brought in. This line up recorded the famous self-titled album Kyuss (released in 1994; due to the album front cover often referred to a...