American rock music of the 1990s gave the world many genres that have become firmly established in popular culture. Despite the fact that many alternative directions came out of the underground, this did not prevent them from taking a leading position, displacing many classic genres of past years into the background. One of these trends was stoner rock, pioneered by the musicians of the Kyuss group.
Kyuss is one of the main bands of the 1990s whose sound changed the face of American rock music. The musicians' work served as an inspiration for many alternative bands of the XNUMXst century, which used the guitar tonality characteristic of stoner rock in their music. What was originally in the underground began to give multi-million dollar profits to newfangled groups.
Early years of Kyuss
The band's history began in 1987, when stoner rock was out of the question. This term appeared much later, so the musicians were still far from real success.
Initially, the group had a difficult to pronounce name Katzenjammer. Then it was renamed to the more sonorous Sons of Kyuss. The name was taken from the cult video game Dungeons & Dragons.
In 1989, the musicians released a mini-album of the same name, which did not find great popularity among listeners. The group continued to remain on the margins of the music scene, in search of their own style.
The first successes of the group
That all changed in the early 1990s when the band was given the simpler name Kyuss. The team included people who were destined to achieve the first serious success. Vocalist John Garcia, guitarist Josh Homme, bassist Nick Oliveri and drummer Brent Bjork recorded their debut album Wretch, which appeared in 1991.
The album was released on a local independent label, however sales were low. Despite the fact that Kyuss concerts attracted a significant number of viewers, the release was a "failure". But the failure in studio work did not upset the musicians who decided to concentrate on live performances.
They began to perform outdoor concerts, using gasoline generators to generate electricity. This practice has become a new word in American rock music. Since the group Kyuss deliberately refused commercial performances in clubs, so that open-air concerts could be attended by everyone.
Even then, the talent possessed by the band's guitarist Josh Homme was noticeable. It was his innovative techniques that brought the group out of the shadows, turning the musicians into stars of their native state. He started plugging his electric guitar into a bass amp to achieve a heavier sound.
Thanks to his unique psychedelic rock-inspired playing style, the band was able to find their own sound that transcended known genres. This caught the attention of celebrity producer Chris Goss, who took over the production of the second Kyuss album.
Blues for the Red Sun and Kyuss rise to fame
The album Blues for the Red Sun was recorded in 1993, becoming a turning point in the history of the group. Thanks to him, the musicians gained fame that they could not even dream of.
Also, it was this release that gained the status of the first music album created in the stoner rock genre. The Kyuss group not only abandoned the underground, but also became the ancestor of a musical genre that is seriously popular.
Despite the success, Oliveri left the band, and the musicians invited Scott Reeder to take his place. Then the Kyuss group went on their first major tour with the Metallica team, which took place in Australia.
Further work of the group
Then the group fell on hard times. It all started with a switch to a new music label that put the album Welcome to Sky Valley on hold. While working on the record, Brent Björk left the band and was replaced by Alfredo Hernandez.
The third studio album, Welcome to Sky Valley, released with Chris Goss, was more mature and received a lot of positive press. The group continued to work in the psychedelic genre, bringing many new elements to it.
In 1995 the band's last album …And the Circus Leaves Town was released. Its commercial failure led to the band's breakup.
The fate of the musicians after the breakup of the group
Despite the fact that the history of the group has only a few years, the musicians managed to reach incredible heights. The band's music has inspired many musicians who play music in genres such as doom, sludge and stoner metal.
After the breakup of the Kyuss group, which occurred in 1995, the musicians did not get lost. Moreover, some of them were able to find resounding commercial success as part of the new stoner rock band Queens of the Stone Age.
Already in the first half of the new decade, the musicians have become the main stars of alternative rock. The musicians continued to combine elements of psychedelic and alternative rock in their work, as a result of which they achieved a commercial triumph.
At the moment, Queens of the Stone Age are one of the most famous representatives of American rock music, gathering stadiums of listeners.
Despite this, "fans" are still waiting for the reunion of the original Kyuss line-up. But whether the musicians will decide to take this step is a big question.
