Review by Xephyr for Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
Drift Through Searing Sand
Blanketed in distortion and drenched in atmosphere, Welcome to Sky Valley encapsulates everything I dig about the Stoner side of Metal. The laid back but heavy grooves hidden behind a mountain of distortion, the slower but absorbing song structure, and a hint of strangeness and psychedelia thrown in there just for the hell of it. All the pieces just fall into place for this album, with every member having their time to shine whether it's the filthy guitar riffs of "Gardenia", the funky bass lines of "Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop", the range of vocal performance between "100°" and "Space Cadet", or the impressive drum rhythms on "Whitewater". Kyuss are able to cover so much musical ground all while never losing the groove of the riffs, which is the lifeblood of a Stoner Rock/Metal release like this.
It strikes a perfect balance between atmospheric, trippy sections like "Asteroid" and head-bobbing but laid back tracks like "Demon Cleaner", which is the strongest track for me. Both of these styles work so well with Kyuss's sound because while the guitar tone is slightly muddy due to all the distortion, the rest of the band is crystal clear and properly cuts through the mix. All the riffs and bass lines have a ton of attitude to them and feel like they're really dug into, which helps to sell the atmosphere of the album very well. John Garcia's vocals also hit both styles, being able to give an aggressive but still laid back performance on the more upbeat tracks and a very emotional and softer performance on the more psychedelic stoner tracks. His voice has a ragged twang to it, which makes it sound more cohesive with the rest of the band.
The songwriting and transitions are all but flawless, with changes happening rapidly but never feeling out of place and never losing the groove of the song. The riffs and solos are very complex and interesting while still managing to be laid-back and carefree sounding, with a ton of very unique sections like the breaks taken at the end of "Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop". Welcome To Sky Valley honestly has one of my favorite bass performances, with each line laid down with precision and attitude. The bass is the only thing keeping the groove during the guitar solos and more atmospheric sections, so the fact that it leaves such an impression ties the album together and, at the end of the day, it's just nasty in songs like "Gardenia" and "Demon Cleaner".
The one thing that really sets this album apart is the atmosphere, with its chill Californian desert imagery through "Space Cadet" and "Whitewater". Thanks to the tone of the clean guitars and the slight twang of the vocals almost all the tracks carry much of the same atmosphere, but it's brought to the forefront in "Space Cadet" as acoustic and clean, twangy guitars take over. This is definitely one of those albums that just draws me into its own world every single time I listen to it. Whether that world is a drug-filled haze, cruising down a dusty, hardly paved road with a flat horizon off in the distance, or a lonely walk across a radiating and blistering hot landscape, this album will definitely take you there.