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!.
The Law
Kyuss Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeling, that darkness in me.
Me and it's you, and I run over you.
So let me be.
Swing low,
Into the blood off of me.
Breaking down the road.
So bringing me down,
Well in to the ground.
No one sees me, and no one talks,
'Cause we all know it to be mine.
Me and lie on the streets of law,
Breaking down the road.
So bringing me down,
Well in to the ground.
No one sees me, and no one talks,
'Cause we all know it to be mine.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, spend
Spend yeah.
Yeah, spend
Yeah, spend
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Darkness imprisoning me,
Feeling, that darkness in me.
Me and it's you, and I run over you.
So let me be.
Swing low,
Into the blood off of me.
The lyrics of Kyuss's song, The Law, are introspective and dark. The repeated line "Darkness, imprisoning me" is symbolic of feeling trapped and lost. The singer is struggling with something within themselves, as they feel the darkness inside of them. The line "Me and it's you, and I run over you" suggests that the singer is in a destructive relationship or partnership, and they are perpetuating harm onto the other person. The following line, "So let me be," could be interpreted as the singer wanting to be left alone to deal with their inner turmoil.
The chorus mentions lying on the streets of law and breaking down the road. This could be a metaphor for feeling overwhelmed and defeated by the pressures and expectations of society. The line "No one sees me, and no one talks, 'Cause we all know it to be mine" implies that the singer is not seeking help or support, and instead keeps their struggles internalized.
Overall, the song speaks to the struggles of mental and emotional turmoil, and the isolation that can come with it. The lyrics are thought-provoking and open to interpretation, inviting listeners to reflect on their own experiences of darkness and inner turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness, imprisoning me.
The feeling of darkness is overwhelming and taking control of me.
Feeling, that darkness in me.
I am feeling the darkness inside me and it's consuming me.
Me and it's you, and I run over you.
I am trying to escape the darkness and it's causing me to hurt others.
So let me be.
I need to be left alone to deal with my internal struggles.
Swing low,
I need help to break free from the darkness.
Into the blood off of me.
I need to shed the darkness from my being.
Me and lie on the streets of law,
I am not functioning well and taking to the streets to escape the darkness.
Breaking down the road.
I am making poor choices and headed towards ruin.
So bringing me down,
My poor choices are causing my downfall.
Well in to the ground.
I am spiraling out of control and heading towards my rock bottom.
No one sees me, and no one talks,
I am invisible to those around me and no one is trying to help me.
'Cause we all know it to be mine.
My struggles with the darkness are my own and I need to find a way to overcome them.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
This repetition emphasizes my overwhelming feelings of despair and hopelessness.
Yeah, spend Spend yeah.
I am indulging in my destructive behaviors and headed towards destruction.
Yeah, spend Yeah, spend Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
This emphasizes my continued indulgence in self-destructive behavior despite the consequences.
Yeah.
This final line illustrates my resignation towards my situation and my difficulty in finding a way out.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSH HOMME, NICK OLIVERI, JOHN M GARCIA, BRANT BJORK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind