Kyuss

Kyuss
L-R: Garcia, Bjork, Reeder, Homme.
Background information
Also known as	Katzenjammer Sons of Kyuss
Origin	Palm Desert, California, USA
Genres	Stoner rock, hard rock, desert rock, alternative metal, stoner metal
Years active	1987 - 1989 (as Katzenjammer) 1989 - 1991 (as Sons of Kyuss) 1991 - 1995 2010 - 2013 (as Kyuss Lives!)
Labels	Dali, Elektra, Bong Load, Man's Ruin Records
Associated acts	Vista Chino, Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator, Unida, Chris Goss, Earthlings?, Hermano, Slo Burn, Solarfeast, LAB, The Desert Sessions, Goatsnake, The Obsessed, Fu Manchu, Ché, Fireball Ministry, Yawning Man, Yawning Sons, Across The River, Masters of Reality, Avon, Orquesta del Desierto, Brave Black Sea, Big Scenic Nowhere, Stoner, Eagles of Death Metal, Them Crooked Vultures, Dwarves, BL'AST!, Bloodclot!

Kyuss (/ˈkaɪ.əs/ ky-əs) was an American stoner rock band, formed in Palm Desert, California, in 1987 by John Garcia (Vocals), Josh Homme (Guitar), Brant Bjork (Drums) and Chris Cockrell (Bass). After releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss and recruited Nick Oliveri. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums amid a host of other releases before disbanding in 1995.

Kyuss was known for their thunderous instrumentation and Garcia's charismatic vocal delivery, along with Homme's distinctive guitar tone. The band was also notable for their performances at "generator parties" before gaining notoriety and becoming a touring act through the United States and Europe. Kyuss are considered by many to be the Godfathers of stoner rock and stoner metal, with Blues For The Red Sun and Welcome To Sky Valley being seminal releases in the history of stoner rock, stoner metal and desert rock.

History

As Katzenjammer and Sons of Kyuss (1987-1991)

The band formed in 1987 jamming under the name Katzenjammer (German archaic slangword for "Hangover") before eventually deciding upon Sons of Kyuss. Brant Bjork selected the name from the undead monster found in the 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game book Fiend Folio. In 1989 the band recorded their eponymous debut EP, Sons of Kyuss, which was their only release to feature Chris Cockrell on bass. After self-releasing the EP in 1990 (This EP would be reissued in 2009 and 2015) the band recruited Nick Oliveri – who had previously played second guitar in Katzenjammer – to replace Cockrell on bass, and shortened their name to Kyuss.

As Kyuss (1991-1995)

Kyuss' first line-up consisted of vocalist John Garcia, guitarist Joshua Homme, bassist Nick Oliveri and drummer Brant Bjork. The band gradually built a local following in Palm Desert, California and frequently performed at parties in and around the isolated towns of Southern California's desert areas. These impromptu and predominantly outdoor shows, referred to locally as "generator parties", consisted of small crowds of people, beer drinking, and the use of gasoline-powered generators to provide electricity for the equipment. 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."

The band then signed with independent record label Dali Records, who released their debut album, Wretch, in September 1991, with the band touring alongside The Dwarves to support it. Several songs on the album were re-recorded versions of those that appeared on the Sons of Kyuss EP. Album sales were sluggish, though the band was quickly making a name for itself as a live act. Guitarist Josh Homme soon gained a reputation for his unique 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 new producer Chris Goss, began work on their next album, Blues for the Red Sun. Goss understood the band, and was able to accurately capture their live sound in the studio. Released on 30 June that year, the album was critically hailed and is today widely regarded as a pioneering stoner rock record. By the time of the release party, Oliveri was fired and replaced by Scott Reeder, who had been approached about joining Kyuss five-to-six months earlier during a West Coast tour with The Obsessed, making his debut at the release party for the album. The band did a full tour of the United States in support of the album and toured the US again in early 1993. A couple months later they were invited to open nine dates for Metallica touring Australia. Comparisons to stoner rock godfathers Black Sabbath became common, though Homme claimed to have little knowledge of the band at the time but Bjork asserted he and Oliveri were hugely influenced by the British group. Homme often dismissed terms like "stoner rock" and the comparisons to Sabbath, citing his punk rock roots.

The band then soon found themselves signed with major label Elektra Records after Dali Records hit financial problems and was bought by Elektra. On 28 June 1994 after nearly a year of delays, they would release their first major label album, self-titled Kyuss. Originally intended to be titled Pools Of Mercury, the album commonly came to be known among fans as Welcome to Sky Valley. Between record company and bandmember shuffling it would take a whole year for the album recorded in 1993 to be released. Once again produced by Chris Goss, it received critical acclaim and musically demonstrated a much more psychedelic and mature sound. However, personal problems emerged and drummer Brant Bjork left the band following completion of the recording sessions. Bjork cited his extreme distaste for touring at the time, particularly band relationship problems that develop during long periods on the road (Mainly conflicts with Homme as cited in an interview with Rolling Stone many years later). He was replaced by Alfredo Hernández, who had previously played with Reeder in the band Across The River during the mid-80s. On 11 July 1995, they released their fourth and final album ...And The Circus Leaves Town with the band touring Europe twice along with the United States in 1995 to support it. A video was made for "One Inch Man", the album's only official single. The album was not as successful commercially as Sky Valley, receiving many lukewarm reviews. Within 3 months of the release, Kyuss decided to disband on 1 October 1995, with their last known show being on 9 September 1995 at Festa dell'Unità in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy.

Aftermath

Shortly after the breakup, Josh Homme toured as the rhythm guitarist with The Screaming Trees, and began work on The Desert Sessions series. 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"). Homme, Oliveri and Hernandez formed Queens of the Stone Age (Previously known as Gamma Ray) in 1998 which has garnered mainstream attention and fame. Homme also is a member of Them Crooked Vultures and Eagles of Death Metal.

Alfredo Hernández, having already played with Across The River, Yawning Man (A band he had a long tenure with.) and The Sort Of Quartet prior to Kyuss, would remain a staple of the desert rock scene after Kyuss' breakup. Following his tenure with Queens of The Stone Age Hernández would also lend his drumming talents to Slo Burn, Ché, Brant Bjork and the Bros, Avon and Orquesta del Desierto just to scratch the surface.

Founding bassist Chris Cockerell performed with Solarfeast in the 1990s but eventually moved to Germany, forming a solo project known as Vic du Monte's Idiot Prayer (And later other bands under the "Vic du Monte" moniker). Cockrell also contributed to Vista Chino's only album.

Scott Reeder would go on to contribute as a performer and producer to Goatsnake, Unida, Nebula, Yawning Sons and Orange Goblin to name a few. He would appear as a guest for Tool. He also notably auditioned as a bassist for Metallica sometime in 2008. Currently, Reeder is active with Fireball Ministry.

Nick Oliveri formed the band Mondo Generator, named after the only Kyuss song credited solely to him. Oliveri also was a founding member of Queens of The Stone Age and has ties with BL'AST!, Dwarves and Bloodclot! among his own solo projects Death Acoustic and Nick Oliveri's Uncontrollable.

Drummer Brant Bjork would perform and produce for the likes of De-Con, Solarfeast and LAB while running a short-lived label known as El Camino. Bjork would join Fu Manchu in 1996 and contribute to four studio albums before leaving the band in 2001. Bjork embarked on a solo career starting with the 1999 album Jalamanta and has since released a total of fifteen solo albums as of 2022.

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. He was also briefly associated with the band Karma To Burn (Eventually, he would contribute to the band's return album Appalachian Incantation). In 1998, he began working with the band Unida, recording one EP, one LP and an unreleased album. At the same time he started working with the band Hermano, having released three LP's and one live album to date. Garcia has later went on to release three solo albums under his own name in the 2010s.

In 1997, Homme, Bjork, and Oliveri recorded three songs together ("13th Floor", "Simple Exploding Man", & "Cocaine Rodeo") for Mondo Generator's debut album Cocaine Rodeo, released in 2000. Also featuring Garcia and Chris Goss on one track, the songs were, for several years, regarded by many fans as the final Kyuss recordings and billed as such by the album's label Southern Lord Records. Notably, Oliveri had the other members record their parts unaware as to who they were working with. Oliveri would also notably get Homme and Garcia on "The Last Train" on the 2012 album Hell Comes To Your Heart.

In 2000, a compilation album, Muchas Gracias: The Best of Kyuss, was released. The album is a collection of the band's singles, as well as B-sides and live material. Although Kyuss left behind some "rarities", many of them were released on Muchas Gracias, and further releases from the band appear unlikely.

“	There are so many untitled songs that have never been heard, that I have up in my little crawl space up above my bed. I don't see those songs coming out anytime in the near future. Everybody's too busy to do stuff like that. It's a job to go back and listen to it, and then if you want to re-record them.	”
	— John Garcia, Billboard, 2005

Reunion Talk and Kyuss Lives

See also: Vista Chino

After the band's breakup in 1995, there had been frequent and persistent speculation among fans regarding the possibility of a Kyuss reunion. When asked in late 2004 about whether the band would ever re-unite, Homme replied that this was unlikely to happen in the near future. However, on 20 December 2005, Garcia made a guest appearance onstage with Queens of the Stone Age during their encore at the Wiltern LG in Los Angeles. They performed three Kyuss songs together: "Thumb", "Hurricane" and "Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop". The band has reportedly received numerous offers to re-form, all of which have been turned down (Especially by Homme):

“	The offers come in all the time. They're getting more and more expensive, and more and more elaborate. The money is crazy, but I've never been tempted – I don't really care about the money, I never have. That's not what KYUSS was about, so to punctuate the end of our sentence with that would be blasphemy. KYUSS fans are so fuckin' rad, they're fuckin' badass — but to me, reunions are just not necessary. It's not what it was, it's what it is, and KYUSS was a really magical thing — and if you weren't there, well, you weren't. That's just the luck of the draw. I don't feel the urge to do it for somebody who didn't have the opportunity to see us, or just didn't take the opportunity to see us. I'll let other bands alter their great legacies. KYUSS has such a great history that it would be a total error. I like that nobody saw KYUSS, and that it was largely misunderstood. That sounds like a legend forming to me. I'm too proud of it to rub my dick on it.	”
	— Josh Homme, Joel McIver, May 2007

Scott Reeder also commented on a possible Kyuss reunion in early 2008, saying "I think everyone but Josh would do it in a heartbeat". Reeder also noted that he would "do it for free beer again".

In 2010, a tour of Europe under the moniker of John Garcia plays Kyuss was announced. In June 2010, former Kyuss members Nick Oliveri and Brant Bjork joined Garcia onstage to perform "Green Machine" and "Gardenia" during a headlining appearance by "Garcia Plays Kyuss" at Hellfest in Clisson, France. Bjork and Oliveri also appeared onstage with Garcia in other concerts on the tour.

In November 2010, Garcia, Oliveri and Bjork announced plans to tour under the moniker Kyuss Lives! with guitarist Bruno Fevery. In reference to the new band name, Garcia stated that "there is never going to be a Kyuss without Josh Homme" and that "hopefully in the future him and I can get together and do some writing." The band went on to tour Europe, Australasia and the United States. and North and South America. The band then announced plans to record a new studio album for a summer 2012 release in addition to a live album.

However in March 2012 it was revealed that Josh Homme (along with Scott Reeder) had filed a federal lawsuit against John Garcia and Brant Bjork alleging "trademark infringement and consumer fraud" over the use of the Kyuss name despite the fact Brant Bjork had originally created the name. Nick Oliveri left Kyuss Lives! later that month after it was revealed that Garcia and Bjork had tried to take control of the Kyuss trademark.

In August 2012 the courts ruled that Garcia and Bjork could not release any recordings, studio or live, under the Kyuss Lives! moniker. While they were allowed to continue using the moniker for live shows (as long as, unlike the bands current logo, Lives! is written in the same size and next to the word Kyuss to avoid confusion), the judge stated that they may face issues in the future and that "it may be in Defendants' best interest to begin re-branding under a new name". On November 29, 2012, it was announced that Kyuss Lives! had changed their name to Vista Chino, who would remain active until 2014 and release one album.

On 12 July 2020 Josh Homme would be interviewed by Kyuss World, discussing the band's career along with ...And The Circus Leaves Town for it's 25th anniversary. During the interview Homme would express interest in a possible reunion amid talks of the album, the desert rock scene and the Kyuss Lives! reunion in 2011. Scott Reeder would also speak of the proposed reunion idea but stated that the first priority was to get through the CO-VID19 Pandemic.

On 23 March 2021, on TotalRock's Hobo on The Radio Podcast, Brant Bjork had revealed he found out about Homme's statements through Nick Oliveri and would try to reach out to Homme, to which they would briefly talk but according to Brant no further conversations would follow. Ultimately, it would lead to no such reunion happening. Bjork and Oliveri would form the stoner rock band Stoner, alongside drummer Ryan Gut.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Wretch (1991, Dali)
• Blues for the Red Sun (1992, Dali)
• Welcome to Sky Valley (1994, Elektra)
• ...And The Circus Leaves Town (1995, Elektra)

Singles

• Thong Song (1992, Dali)
• Green Machine (1993, Dali)
• Demon Cleaner (1994, Elektra)
• Demon Cleaner Part 2 (1994, Elektra)
• Sky Valley Part 2 (1994, Elektra)
• Sky Valley Part 3 (1994, Elektra)
• Two From Kyuss (1994, Elektra)
• One Inch Man (1995, Elektra)
• Gardenia (1995, Elektra)
• Into The Void (1996, Man's Ruin Records)

Misc. Releases

• Sons of Kyuss (EP as Sons of Kyuss) (1990, Black Highway)
• Live at The Marquee Club (Live CD) (1994, Elektra)
• Shine! / Short Term Memory Loss (Split with Wool) (1996, Bong Load Custom)
• Kyuss/Queens of The Stone Age (Split with Queens of the Stone Age) (1997, Man's Ruin Records
• Muchas Gracias: The Best of Kyuss (Compilation/Best-Of) (2000, Elektra)

Personnel

• John Garcia – Vocals (1987 – 1995)
• Josh Homme – Guitars (1987 – 1995)
• Brant Bjork – Drums, Percussion (1987 – 1993)
• Chris Cockrell – Bass (1987 – 1991)
• Nick Oliveri – Guitars (1987 – 1988), Bass (1991 – 1992)
• Scott Reeder – Bass (1992 – 1995)
• Alfredo Hernández – Drums, Percussion (1994 – 1995)

List of Known Tours

• Wretch North American Tour (With Dwarves) (1991)
• Blues For The Red Sun Tour (With Danzig, White Zombie) (1992)
• 1993 North American Tour (With Faith No More, Babes In Toyland) (1993)
• 1993 Australian Tour (With Metallica) (1993)
• March 1994 North American Tour (With Fishbone, Biohazard) (1994)
• May 1994 European Tour (1994)
• September 1994 European Tour (1994)
• October 1994 North American Tour (With Dinosaur Jr., Juned) (1994)
• November 1994 North American Tour (With Ween) (1994)
• February 1995 European Tour (1995)
• July 1995 North American Tour (With White Zombie, Reverend Horton Heat, Babes in Toyland) (1995)
• Summer 1995 European Tour (With Soundgarden) (1995)
• Fall 1995 North American Tour (With Monster Magnet, Sugar Ray, Sweetwater; Kyuss dropped off) (1995)

External Links

• Archived Fanpage
• Another Archived Fanpage
• List of Shows