American stoner rock band formed in Palm Desert, California in 1987. Lineup: John Garcia (vocals), Josh Homme (guitar, later of Queens of the Stone Age), Scott Reeder (bass, 1992-1995, replacing original bassist Nick Oliveri), and Brant Bjork (drums, 1987-1993, replaced by Alfredo Hernández). Considered foundational to stoner rock and desert rock.
Four studio albums between Wretch (1991) and ...And the Circus Leaves Town (1995). Critical peak: Blues for the Red Sun (1992) and Welcome to Sky Valley (1994). The band dissolved in 1995, with Homme forming Queens of the Stone Age the following year. Members have reunited under variations of the Kyuss name; legal disputes have prevented use of the full band name in some configurations.
