Review Summary: Track Picks: Beginning Of What's About to Happen (Hwy 74), Katzenjammer, I'm Not, Stage III
Desert rockers
Kyuss kick off their debut LP with a bang, the so-called "Beginning of What's About to Happen": couldn't have said it better myself. Although just a hard rock band traveling across California, mouth-watering at every opportunity to play a live set and lucky enough to land a cheap studio job for "Wretch", the album proves to be a solid prelude to what would be the legendary Kyuss.
The album contains a few tracks featured on the Sons of Kyuss EP, and the others are finished projects of their late 80's demos. Songwriting duties are handled by both drummer Brant Bjork (who brings some boisterous jams to the table) and guitarist Josh Homme. With husky vocalist John Garcia and bassists Nick Oliveri and Chris Cockrell to round out the lineup, Kyuss contains in and of itself future desert rock all stars. Pure musicianship does not always equate to an epic record, though. Luckily enough, Wretch is as spotless and crisp as a jam session, making the overall sound nothing short of dynamite. The production quality (or lack thereof) makes the average listener, potentially a Kyuss fan, wonder how such chemistry was overlooked. But it was.
Laid back and sometimes in-your-face lyrics pair up wonderfully with the boisterous sound of "Wretch". Highlights include the testosterone-fueled "Katzenjammer", the opening track, and the freestyle jams of "I'm Not" and "The Law". Quick and to the point, Kyuss are capable of telling you everything you missed out on last summer, while creating an original sound that harbors everything affiliated with rock n roll.
