Kyuss

This article is about the band. For the fictional deity, see Kyuss (Greyhawk).

Kyuss
Kyuss, circa 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) Kyuss Lives! (2010–present)
Origin	Palm Desert, California, USA
Genres	Stoner rock, heavy metal, desert rock
Years active	1987–1995 2010–present
Labels	Dali, Elektra, Bong Load, Man's Ruin
Members	John Garcia Brant Bjork Bruno Fevery Billy Cordell
Past members	Josh Homme Chris Cockrell Nick Oliveri Scott Reeder Alfredo Hernández

Kyuss (/ˈkaɪ.əs/ KY-əs) is an American rock band, formed in Palm Desert, California in 1987 by Brant Bjork (drums), Chris Cockrell (bass), Josh Homme (guitar), and John Garcia (vocals). 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, and one last split EP in 1997 as Kyuss and the newly formed Queens of the Stone Age. This nicely tied up the loose ends of Kyuss and introduced the new band Queens of the Stone Age, which was initially composed entirely of ex-Kyuss members.

Nick Oliveri was fired from the band in 1992 and replaced by Scott Reeder just prior to the release of Blues for the Red Sun. Brant Bjork decided to leave the band in 1993, citing creative differences, and was replaced by Alfredo Hernández from the seminal Palm Desert Scene band Yawning Man. John Garcia and Josh Homme would be the band's only continuous members throughout the band's lifetime. Kyuss eventually split up in 1995, and since then, members of Kyuss have gone on to form or play in several notable bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu, Dwarves, Brant Bjork, Eagles of Death Metal, Mondo Generator, Hermano, Unida, Slo Burn and Them Crooked Vultures. However, in November 2010, a partially reformed version of the band reunited under the moniker Kyuss Lives!, embarking on a world tour in March 2011 with plans to release a new album in 2012. Guitarist Bruno Fevery is filling in for Homme, who has always discouraged talk of a reunion. Oliveri left the band in March 2012, and was then replaced by former Yawning Man bassist Billy Cordell.

History

As Katzenjammer and Sons of Kyuss (1987–1991)

The band formed in 1987 jamming under the name Katzenjammer (German slangword for "Hangover" [archaic]) 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, 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. Several songs on the album were re-recorded versions of those that appeared on the Sons of Kyuss EP. Under-produced and poorly financed, the album was a poor representation of the "Kyuss sound", and it ultimately depicted a young band still searching for its true musical identity. 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 in June that year, the album was critically hailed and is today widely regarded as a pioneering stoner rock record. By the end of 1993, 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 prior knowledge of the band. Bassist Oliveri left the band following completion of the album and Scott Reeder, who had been approached about joining Kyuss five-to-six months earlier during a West Coast tour with The Obsessed, made his debut at the release party for Blues for the Red Sun.

The band then soon found themselves signed with major label Elektra Records after Dali Records hit financial problems and was bought by Elektra. In 1994, 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 shuffling 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, particularly band relationship problems that develop during long periods on the road. He was replaced by Alfredo Hernández, who had previously played with Reeder in the band Across the River during the mid-80s. In July 1995, they released their fourth and final album, ...And the Circus Leaves Town. 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 sometime in October 1995. With the sudden breakup, "...And the Circus Leaves Town" received a rejuvenation in appeal and is now considered a strong effort. A compilation EP was later released in 1997 containing singles and b-sides.

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 December 20, 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:

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 to 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".

Post-break up (1996–2009)

Shortly after the breakup, Homme toured as the rhythm guitarist with The Screaming Trees, and began work on The Desert Sessions series, which continues to this day. 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 and Hernandez formed Queens of the Stone Age in 1998, and recruited Oliveri as bassist after completion of their debut album.

Hernandez later played with Yawning Man, Che and Orquestra Del Desierto, while Oliveri 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 Mondo Generator, 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. He was also briefly associated with the band Karma to Burn. 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 more recently been working on a solo album.

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 are regarded by many fans as the true final Kyuss recordings.

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. Singer John Garcia told Billboard.com in a 2005 interview:

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.

Kyuss Lives! (2010–present)

File:KYUSSLIVES logo.jpg

Promotional artwork for the Kyuss Lives! tour

In 2010, a European "John Garcia plays Kyuss" tour was announced, starting with a gig at Roadburn Festival. His backing-band was composed of Belgian and Dutch musicians from Agua de Annique, Kong, Celestial Season and Arsenal. The setlists were almost exclusively Kyuss songs.

In June 2010, former Kyuss members Nick Oliveri and Brant Bjork joined John Garcia onstage to perform "Green Machine" and "Gardenia" during a headlining appearance by "Garcia Plays Kyuss" at Hellfest in Clisson, France and they also appeared onstage with Garcia in other concerts on the tour, representing 3⁄4 of the original band lineup.

In November 2010, Garcia, Oliveri and Bjork announced a tour under the moniker "Kyuss Lives!" for a European tour, with Bruno Fevery serving as the band's guitarist. 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."

They toured Australia and New Zealand in May. They toured Europe in June 2011 and have announced a North and South America tour for late Summer and Fall, 2011, with Scott Reeder playing many dates outside of the US. The tour wrapped up on New Year's Eve 2011 at Cherry Cola's Rock 'n' Rolla Cabaret and Lounge, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Kyuss Lives! planned to record a new studio album for a summer 2012 release.

In March 2012, it was revealed that Josh Homme, with backing from bassist 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. Nick Oliveri left Kyuss later that month.

Bjork spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about the bitterness which has developed between Homme and his former Kyuss bandmates:

Josh filing this lawsuit is not an issue of today … it's an issue that began over 20 years ago. That is why the band was short-lived. Josh and I were the creative force within the band and after the completion of our second record, Blues for the Red Sun, we developed an opposing view on how the band should exist and operate. In 1992 Josh discovered publishing, which is the financial revenue stream for songwriting. After that, he wanted to write all the songs. As a drummer I couldn't make him play my songs. I wasn't going to compromise my heart and soul and play drums for Josh to make money in a band I started. So I left the band. I was a confused, angry and sad 19-year-old idealist who sacrificed my love of my band for what I believed in. Two-and-a-half years later, Josh would break up the band after John (Garcia) confronted him about the same thing; his need to control the band for personal gain. - Brant Bjork

Members

Current (Kyuss Lives!)

• John Garcia – lead vocals (1987–1995, 2010-present)
• Brant Bjork – drums, percussion (1987–1993, 2010-present)
• Bruno Fevery – guitars (2010–present)
• Billy Cordell – bass guitar (2012–present)

Former

• Josh Homme – guitars (1987–1995)
• Chris Cockrell – bass guitar (1987–1991)
• Nick Oliveri – guitars (1987–1988), bass (1991–1992, 2010–2012)
• Scott Reeder – bass (1992–1995, select shows in 2011)
• Alfredo Hernández – drums, percussion (1994–1995)

Kyuss personnel

Dates	Releases	Instruments					Notes
		Vocalist	Lead guitarist	Rhythm guitarist	Bass guitar	Drums
1987–1989		John Garcia	Josh Homme	Nick Oliveri	Chris Cockrell	Brant Bjork	as "Katzenjammer"
1989–1990	Sons of Kyuss		Josh Homme				as "Sons of Kyuss"
1991–1992	Wretch and Blues for the Red Sun				Nick Oliveri		First line-up as "Kyuss"
1992–1993	Welcome to Sky Valley				Scott Reeder
1994–1995	...And the Circus Leaves Town					Alfredo Hernández	Last line-up before disbanding.
1995–2010	Disbanded
2010–2012		John Garcia	Bruno Fevery		Nick Oliveri	Brant Bjork	Reunion lineup as "Kyuss Lives!"
2012–present					Billy Cordell

World tours

• Blues for the Red Sun Tour, 1992–1993
• Welcome to Sky Valley Tour, 1994–1995
• ...And the Circus Leaves Town Tour, 1995
• Kyuss Lives! Tour, 2011

Studio albums

Main article: Kyuss discography

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