The band was originally formed in 1989 in Palm Desert, California under the name "Sons of Kyuss". They took the name from a monster in Dungeons and Dragons. Shortly after the release of their self-titled EP, the name was shortened to just Kyuss.
The quartet gained popularity around the desert due to their famous generator parties. These were parties fueled by gas generators in the canyons and isolated desert surrounding the small valley towns.
The group disbanded in 1997. They felt that they were in a decline and felt it best to call it quits before it escalated into something that could not be fixed. The line up had shifted dramatically between 1989 and 1997. Josh Homme, John Garcia, Brant Bjork, and Chris Cockrell were the original members. Chris was replaced by Nick Oliveri during high school. That line up recorded Wretch (released in 1991) and Blues for the Red Sun (released in 1992), after which Nick soon left. The eighteen year older, but very able Scott Reeder from The Obsessed was brought in. This line up recorded the famous self-titled album Kyuss (released in 1994; due to the album front cover often referred to as "Welcome to Sky Valley", a small town outside of Palm Desert — wrongly labelled by many). Brank Bjork left after this due to personal reasons. Alfredo Hernandez was brought in. The final line-up recorded ...And the Circus Leaves Town (released in 1995). The band toured and soon disbanded. With the compilation Muchas Gracias: The best of Kyuss, one final greatest hits CD was released in 2000.
All band members still influence the genre they helped to create. The most notable is Queens of the Stone Age. Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri, and Alfredo Hernandez started this up after Josh had experimented with his famous Desert Sessions.
John Garcia took a path geared more towards traditional rock. He opened with Slo Burn. It was a harder Kyuss, and still played in drop C. That project did not last for over a year, although one EP was released. Following Slo Burn came Unida. This band was steered toward rock n' roll and away from the stoner rock genre. John has most recently been involved with the band Hermano. Many consider this the greatest post-Kyuss project. In 2010 a Garcia Plays Kyuss gig at Roadburn Festival (Netherlands), to be followed by a proper European tour, was announced. The line-up of this band includes (former) members of Agua de Annique, Celestial Season, Kong and Arsenal.
Nick Oliveri also has created waves in the music world. Apart from playing for years in Queens of the Stone Age he has played on and off in The Dwarves. He is most known for his side project, which has become his full-time band, Mondo Generator.
Scott Reeder pursued a career of producing mainly (most notably Orange Goblin's Coup de Grace). In 2006, he released a solo album called Tunnelvision Brilliance. He also played in Unida for a little bit.
Brant Bjork has the most stable musical career of them all. He turned down playing with Queens of the Stone Age to pursue a journey with his surfing buddies, Fu Manchu. He left after making numerous records with them to focus on his already blossoming solo career, playing the guitar instead of drums. He has worked with many people since, releasing records with Ché, touring as Brant Bjork and the Bros, and occasionally playing drums as well. Brant Bjork also played on some Desert Sessions.
Los Angeles based drummer Gene Trautmann played for a brief period between Brant Bjork and Alfredo Hernandez.
Alfredo Hernandez has guest starred on too many CDs and bands to count including Yawning Man, Orquestra Del Desierto, Fatso Jetson, and many others. He also played in a local band located in Palm Desert and is the drummer of Brant Bjork and the Bros.
A big influence on the sound of Kyuss was Chris Goss (frontman of Masters of Reality), who produced Blues for the Red Sun, and everything that followed.
Although Queens of the Stone Age has been, and continues to be, a great deal more popular than Kyuss or any of its offshoots for many Kyuss is considered far superior than anything the disbanded members created afterward.
A lot of bands have been inspired by Kyuss, including Electric Wizard, Monster Magnet, Orange Goblin, Beaver, Dozer, Los Natas, Truckfighters, Acid King, Fu Manchu, Clutch, Pelican, Torche.
For 2011 touring line-up, see Kyuss Lives!.
Green Machine
Kyuss Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's got to set your soul free
I've got a wheel inside my head
A wheel of understanding
I'm a-loading, loading my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The break-down scheme
I'm a-shutting down
I'm shutting down your greed for green
I am here to gun it down, I gotta do
I see little flowers at my feet
Cool breeze, clean air, hospitality
Pretty please, pretty please, pretty please
Get the hell away from me
I'm a-loading, loading my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The break-down scheme
I'm a-shutting down
I'm shutting down your greed for green
I am here to gun it down, I gotta do
I've got a war inside my head
It's got to set your soul free
I've got a wheel inside my head
Well, a wheel of understanding
I'm a-loading, loading my war machine
I'm contributing to the system
The break-down scheme
I'm a-shutting down
I'm shutting down your greed for green, baby
I am here to gun it down, I gotta do
The lyrics to Kyuss's song "Green Machine" have a rebellious and anti-establishment theme. The singer describes a wall inside his head, which he believes will set his soul free. This could imply that he feels trapped or confined by societal norms and wants to break free from them. The singer also talks about a wheel of understanding, which suggests that he wants to gain insight and understanding about the world around him.
The following lines talk about loading a war machine and contributing to the system's breakdown scheme. This could be interpreted as the singer's way of saying that he is taking a stand against the oppressive system that is destroying the world. He talks about shutting down greed for green, which could signify his anger towards people who place profit over the well-being of the planet. The final lines express the singer's desire for peace and tranquility. He sees beauty in the world and wants to be left alone from the chaos that surrounds him.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a wall inside my head
I have an obstacle in my mind that needs to be overcome
It's got to set your soul free
This wall is preventing me from reaching true freedom
I've got a Wheel inside my head
I have a mechanism for understanding things
The wheel of understanding
This mechanism helps me comprehend various concepts
I'm a loading, a loading my war machine
I am preparing my mind to take on a battle
I'm contributing to the system, The break down scheme
I am part of a network that is contributing to the destruction of something
I'm a shutting down, I'm shutting down, your greed for green
I am actively trying to end your obsession with money
I am here to gun it down, I gotta do
I have come to eliminate this problem and it's something I have to do
I see pretty flowers at my feet
There are distractions in life that may seem appealing
cool breeze, clean air, hospitality, pretty please, a pretty please, pretty please, get the hell away from me
Despite these distractions, I am focused on my mission and need to be left alone
HaS Sht
This line has no clear meaning and may be a made-up phrase
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Brant Bjork
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind