Kyuss

USA, 1987–1995

Palm Desert, California band (1987–1995) featuring Josh Homme and John Garcia. Their downtuned, fuzzed 'generator party' sound on Blues for the Red Sun and Welcome to Sky Valley made them the fountainhead of stoner and desert rock.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Kyuss and 1 artist Kyuss influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Kyuss?

• Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath's downtuned doom is the bedrock of Kyuss's fuzzed, heavy desert rock.
• Blue Cheer — Blue Cheer's primal, overdriven proto-metal is a clear ancestor of Kyuss's fuzz-drenched sound.
• Black Flag — Black Flag's punk intensity — especially their heavier, sludgier late period — feeds Kyuss's aggression.

Which artists did Kyuss influence?

• Queens of the Stone Age — Josh Homme formed Queens of the Stone Age straight out of Kyuss — the desert/stoner-rock band whose heavy, hypnotic riffing is the direct source of QOTSA's sound.