Heavy slow riffs of low-tuned guitars, using illegally connected electricity, somewhere in the California deserts. Sounds familiar? Kyuss?! So! Actually… not exactly…
Let’s start from the beginning. The official news of the band’s breakup in 1995 says that the huge fame took away the joy of solo concerts in their beloved desert. However, the truth is somewhat different. The cause was a conflict between vocalist Johnny Garcia and guitarist Josh Homm. After these events, each of them went their own way, and the hearing of the band was lost. It was only after many years that Kyuss was truly appreciated. Considered the forerunner of stoner rock, he became an inspiration for many young bands. All this caused that American musicians began to timidly return playing sporadic concerts under the name Kyuss Lives!. The composition of the band remained almost the same. Almost… However, the project lacked the above-mentioned Homme, who immediately after the events of 1995, founded a new band Queens of the Stone Age. It’s a shame.. Well, but what to do .. Kyuss Lives! With the new guitarist he continued to tour. It quickly turned out that the idea of playing debut songs on stage after so many years is very well received by the global audience. After a short reflection, the musicians decided to release a new album. And this is where this article could actually end, a beautiful happy ending, everyone got what they wanted. However, none of this.. Standing in the way of Kyuss’s reactivation is none other than Josh Homme, who does not agree to use this legendary name. Moments later, the process begins, which the leader of QOTSA wins.
“Josh Homme started doing everything he could to have total control over the band and that led to the end of the band. So how ironic it is that today he is trying to stop the activity of a band with which he wanted nothing to do. After all, it’s not the guy who destroyed Kyuss and who doesn’t feel the need to go back to this team, it’s supposed to decide whether this team should keep playing. This is not his team.”
Comments an irritated Brant Bjork, Kyuss’s drummer. Vista Chino is the Spanish name for a street that served as a landmark for musicians in Palm Desert’s hometown. This was also the name of the new album, but after losing the lawsuit it became the new name of the band. The album was eventually titled “Peace”.
“The whole lawsuit thing was very upsetting. It was a negative experience and great stress. Everything that was happening affected me and Johnn in a very negative way. Writing music for the new album became even more important to us because we needed something positive. And all around us were surrounded only by bad emotions. That’s why we called the album Peace because we needed a kind of healing, a word that would bring positive energy.”
Bjork continues, explaining where the name of the new album came from. And that’s where it stopped. This is the short story of the iconic Kyuss, which, despite many unpleasantness, seems to be experiencing a second youth.
Finally, a few words from me about the new release, which is the subject of all this confusion.
“Peace” definitely captures the spirit of previous albums.The album does not lack the characteristic, low-tuned guitar sound, sharply distorted bass combined with calm drum beats. Even John Garcia himself achieved the same timbre of voice that can be heard on previous compositions. The whole, in my opinion, deserves a very high rating, and especially, the catchy song “Adara” which from the first listening to me really appealed to me. Electric-blues, rocking sounds combined with melodic licks of the new guitarist Bruno Fevery, create a very coherent and interesting set.