SilentScream213 Time for a hot take, given how beloved this album is…

Kyuss has never done much for me, and while this is my favorite of their material I’ve heard so far, it’s still stuck in “decent” territory. I actually liked this album more the first time I heard it; the riff of the first track was pretty catchy, and the way Asteroid jams is quite entertaining indeed. I was prepared to like this album a lot.

However, the more I listened to it, the more it grew off me. The riffs, for the most part, are quite repetitive, sometimes becoming dull, and after multiple listens the magic they had has gone stale. A fair amount of the tracks have jam sections in them, and the band doesn’t go anywhere most of the time. The solos sound like they’re trying to be psychedelic, and don’t create much in terms of melody or technique. People praise the vocals, but they’re just very generic Stoner Rock/Grunge vocals, and on top of that the lyrics are quite poor.

The album is not without strengths, and I will recognize them. Asteroid is a very good song, for one. The riffs are quite monolithic, there’s a good amount of energy and variation to it. The album is overall very consistent, and easy to listen to front to back. Another thing people say is that the album does a good job of actually taking you to Sky Valley, and I totally agree. This album just oozes desert heat, dehydrated mirages and psychedelic pink skies. I did also have the pleasure of listening to this on a hot sunny day in the car with the windows down. That’s how it’s meant to be, I think.

My own biases aside, the album is a good ride start to finish, but does little to stand out amongst its genre. Lick Doo is particularly embarrassing and just a final slap in the face as the album closes. While this album has a time and a place, it’s not strong enough that I’d want to spin it again anytime soon.

siLLy puPPy WELCOME TO SKY VALLEY is the classic alternative doom metal album by frontman Josh Homme and crew where doomy stoner rock has never been so convincing that it's not Sabbath! Just when you think they might be straying too close they do something unexpected keeping this album fresh and free-flowing throughout its entire run. As with Josh's successor Queens Of The Stone Age, the subject matter often depicts the inland desert lifestyles of Palm Desert and vicinity and the road trips that occur when navigating throughout its vastness.

Traces of funk, Hendrix inspired psychedelic riffs and Iommi influenced lead guitars drenched in feedback and fuzz, swingin bass, hippie inspired drumming and even some excellent acoustic guitar work all tuned way down make this stoner metal more addictive than the drugs that may or may not have been used for its creation! The beauty of this album is it takes you where the grunge acts of the day would only hint at. It's no wonder this album is so revered. It's just that freakin' good!

Warthur Welcome to Sky Valley polishes and refines the approach of Blues For the Red Sun into a classic stoner doom album of monolithic, fuzzed-out riffs, tripped-out subject matter, groovy rhythms and just enough alternative metal influence to stop things sliding into outright Sabbath-worship. Injecting thick doses of doped-out toked-up psychedelia into the metal landscape to an extent not seen since... well, since their previous album, Kyuss have created an iconic piece of art which captures perfectly the lonely desert landscapes depicted on the front cover. Any exploration of stoner doom would be well advised to start out in Sky Valley, because in this subgenre all roads lead back here.

Kingcrimsonprog Welcome To Sky Valley by Kyuss is an absolutely classic record, beyond influential and a cornerstone of the entire genre.

Kyuss expanded their vision on this 1994 release and added acoustic moments and quitter sections into their trademark virtuosic, 70s tinged desert/stoner style. The riffs buzz happily in a warm way, beside John Garcia’s enjoyable vocal style.

Sky Valley is an utterly consistent album from beginning to end, there are no weak tracks and every song is essential listening for fans, from the rocking opener ‘Gardenia,’ to the impressive closer ‘Whitewater.’

Standout tracks include ‘Supa Scoop and Mighty Soop,’ and ‘Demon Cleaner,’ which are two of the best tracks the band have ever written, although the entire album is thoroughly enjoyable.

Overall, Sky Valley is a brilliant record, with great sound, musicianship and songs. It is justifiably considered one of the best albums in the genre and I highly recommend that you try it out if you haven’t already.

bartosso Spirit of the Desert

Queens Of the Stone Age's guitarist, Josh Homme, once had a better, today a bit underrated band. Kyuss, known as stoner metal pioneers, are still unrivalled in their domain. WELCOME TO SKY VALLEY was their fourth opus and after 17 years it is still intriguing and sounds fresh. Hypnotizing and psychedelic atmosphere of sunny flatlands mixed with hard rock feel and downtuned guitar heaviness resulted in the album that became an inspiration to many modern stoner and post metal bands. If you haven't listened to it yet, it's high time you do it. Beware though, since the Spirit of the desert never sleeps.

Everything here - thick and muffled sound of downtuned guitars, groovy drumming, hypnotizing hard rock vocals - is aimed at creating a spiritual atmosphere of the region, title Sky Valley. Love to this place manifested not only in the recording - Kyuss played illegal gigs in the desert, with people all around, reveling in music and headbanging. If it weren't for the fact that some songs are too simple, both in terms of ambiance and structure, I would gladly rate it with 5 stars. There are moments of such a visionariness("Demon Cleaner"), beauty("Whitewater") and power("Supa Scoopa..."), that listening to this album is always inspiring.

Highly recommended to fans of Tool, (early)Queens of the Stone Age, Monster Magnet, Led Zeppelin.