1991-1992Wretch and Blues for the Red Sun
John Garcia (Vocals),
Josh Homme (Guitar),
Nick Oliveri (Bass),
Brant Bjork (Drums)
1992-1993Welcome to Sky Valley
John Garcia (Vocals),
Josh Homme (Guitar),
Scott Reeder (Bass),
Brant Bjork (Drums)
1994-1995...And the Circus Leaves Town
John Garcia (Vocals),
Josh Homme (Guitar),
Nick Oliveri (Bass),
Alfredo Hernández (Drums)
Brant Bjork first roped in bassist Chris Cockrell, Josh Homme on guitar and John Garcia on vox to create their first band, Katzenjammer, in time Nick Oliveri joined on Rythym guitar.
After little success Chris Cockrell left to join other notable bands.
Nick Oliveri then replaced Chris Cockrell on bass where he would stay for many years.
The band slowly evovled from unlistenable to tolerable and they began to play gigs at generator parties around the Palm Desert and Joshua Tree.
After a few months of playing desert parties the members of Katzenjamer changed their band's name to Sons of Kyuss.
With the new name a new musical direction was taken focusing on down-tuned, super-heavy hams which combined the crushing, ominous guitar riffs of Black Sabbath with the trance-like repetition of Hawkwind it took some time for the sound to be reached in the correct manner.
The sound came about accidentally because they didn't have enough money to buy tuners! They would tune way down until the strings were floppy and barely bring it up. Then they would tune to each other and start the gig.
It was also at this stage that the band began to play some original material rather than trying to mimic bands like Black Flag and Yawning man.
It was in 1987 that Sons of Kyuss cut their first demo tape, produced by musical legend Chriss Goss.
In 1988 S.O.K finally began to tour outside of the desert, making the drive to Los Angeles.
In time the band made their first album under their own Black Highway label which appeared on LP only wtih 500 copies pressed.
In the 1990's the band seeked more exposure on the Hollywood rock club circuit. Chris Long, who was an A&R man for the small Chameleon Label, the president of Chameleon, Bob Buziak was blown away by the bands performance and offered them a record deal with the subsidary label: Dali.
Changes needed to be made and so Sons of Kyuss was shortened to Kyuss.
The new album had re-recordings of a handful of the self titled album's tracks and the result became Wretch which was released later in 1991. Wretch suffered from the same slightly weak sound as it's predecessor and was evidently the work of a band still in development.
Kyuss steadily gained reputation and fans, with Chris Goss, now a friend, Kyuss gained a tour with the Dwarves and a recording of a new album - Blues for the Red Sun.
Kyuss had finally begun to hit their prime, making a further two albums and touring places like Australia with Metallica. Changes occured in the line up, Brant Bjork left and was replaced by Alfredo Hernandez, and Nick Oliveri replaced by Scott Reeder, before the band as a whole decided to end whilst still at a high point rather than fading into mediocrity.
