Kyuss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyuss
Kyuss c. 1992. Left to right: Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, John Garcia, Nick Oliveri.
Background information
Also known as	Katzenjammer (1987–1989) Sons of Kyuss (1989–1991)
Origin	Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Years active	1987–1995
Past members	Josh Homme John Garcia Scott Reeder Alfredo Hernández Chris Cockrell Brant Bjork Nick Oliveri

Kyuss was an American rock band that started in Palm Desert, California, in 1987. Many people consider them pioneers of a music style often called "stoner rock." After the band split up in 1995, its members joined or formed other well-known bands. These include Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees, Fu Manchu, Dwarves, Eagles of Death Metal, Mondo Generator, Hermano, Unida, Slo Burn and Them Crooked Vultures.

The Band's Story

How Kyuss Began

The band first started playing together in 1987 under the name Katzenjammer. Later, they changed their name to Sons of Kyuss. Drummer Brant Bjork chose the name from an undead monster in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

In 1989, the band recorded their first music, an EP (a short album) called Sons of Kyuss. This was the only recording that featured Chris Cockrell playing bass guitar. After releasing this EP in 1990, the band brought in Nick Oliveri to play bass. Nick had played guitar with them before. At this time, they also shortened their name to just Kyuss.

Early Days and First Albums

The first main lineup of Kyuss included John Garcia as the singer, Josh Homme on guitar, Nick Oliveri on bass, and Brant Bjork on drums. They slowly became popular in their hometown of Palm Desert, California. They often played at parties in the desert areas of Southern California.

The band then signed with a record label called Dali. This label was part of Elektra Records. In September 1991, Kyuss released their first full album, Wretch. Some songs on this album were new versions of songs from their earlier Sons of Kyuss EP. The album didn't sell a lot of copies, but Kyuss quickly became known for their exciting live shows.

Growing Popularity

In 1992, Kyuss worked with a new producer, Chris Goss, to create their next album, Blues for the Red Sun. This album came out in June 1992 and was praised by music critics. By the end of 1993, Kyuss was invited to open for the famous band Metallica on nine of their tour dates in Australia. This helped them reach a much bigger audience.

In 1993, Kyuss moved to the main Chameleon record label. They recorded their third album, Welcome to Sky Valley, which was released in June 1994. This album also received great reviews. One of the songs from the album, "Demon Cleaner," even reached number 78 on the music charts in the United Kingdom.

The Final Album and Breakup

In July 1995, Kyuss released their fourth and last album, ...And the Circus Leaves Town. This was their only album recorded for a major record label. It had a simpler sound compared to their previous album, Welcome to Sky Valley. The song "One Inch Man" was released as the only single from this album in June 1995, and a music video was also made for it.

This final album didn't sell as well as Sky Valley and got mixed reviews. Kyuss officially broke up in the late summer of 1995.

After Kyuss

Years later, in November 2010, some former members of Kyuss (John Garcia, Brant Bjork, and Nick Oliveri) decided to play together again. They called themselves "Kyuss Lives!" and went on a world tour. They also planned to record new music. However, due to a disagreement about using the name, they later changed their band name to Vista Chino.

Band Members

• Josh Homme – guitars (1987–1995)
• John Garcia – lead vocals (1987–1995)
• Brant Bjork – drums, percussion (1987–1994)
• Chris Cockrell – bass guitar (1987–1991)
• Nick Oliveri – rhythm guitar (1987–1988), bass guitar (1991–1992)
• Scott Reeder – bass guitar (1992–1995)
• Alfredo Hernández – drums, percussion (1994–1995)

Discography

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

Images for kids

• Timeline.png

  This timeline shows when different members were part of Kyuss and when their albums were released.

See also

In Spanish: Kyuss para niños