Pioneer of the stoner movement, a kind of psychedelic heavy metal influenced by Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Blue Cheer, Kyuss is the cult band par excellence, that is to say cited by everyone as a reference but whose records nobody ever buys. And yet, the aptly named Welcome To Sky Valley (here, you’re floating a thousand meters up despite the heaviness of the music) is well worth a listen. Divided into three parts of about fifteen minutes each, this album is packed with greasy riffs as if stunned by the heat ("Gardenia") and leaden, hypnotic rhythms ("Odyssey"). Breaking free from the oppressive weight, John Garcia's haunting vocals and Josh Homme's solos (who would later found the essential Queens Of The Stone Age) bring just the right amount of fresh air into this furnace. Disbanded in 1997, Kyuss delivered one of the major heavy rock records of the 90s here.