Kyuss's music was frequently labeled "stoned rock," but if you thought that meant that the band members were seriously chilled-out dudes, well, think again. The onetime bandmates are currently embroiled in a lawsuit over use of the name Kyuss, specifically in regards to the reunion act Kyuss Lives!
The lawsuit comes from former Kyuss members Josh Homme (who now leads Queens of the Stone Age) and Scott Reeder, who have filed a lawsuit claiming that former collaborators John Garcia and Brant Bjork -- who reformed under the name Kyuss Lives! in 2010 and 2011 -- have infringed on their trademark and committed consumer fraud.
Interestingly, bassist Nick Oliveri seems to have been left out of the lawsuit, even though he participated in the reunion. This might have something to do with the fact that he's already embroiled in some legal troubles of his own, or perhaps Oliveri had already withdrawn from the reunion.
A statement from Homme and Reeder explains:
It sucks. To think we went to a meeting in January solely to help them with their request to continue Kyuss Lives! With open arms, we made every attempt to help them continue Kyuss Lives! respectfully. Only to discover while they looked us in the eye, Kyuss Lives! management and band had filed federal documents in 2011 in an attempt to steal the name Kyuss.
This is desperately what we were trying to avoid. It's a sad day for us and for John -- but most of all for the fans. What a needless mess.
In other words, we're guessing that Kyuss Lives!'s planned new album has been thrown into jeopardy.
The lawsuit comes from former Kyuss members Josh Homme (who now leads Queens of the Stone Age) and Scott Reeder, who have filed a lawsuit claiming that former collaborators John Garcia and Brant Bjork -- who reformed under the name Kyuss Lives! in 2010 and 2011 -- have infringed on their trademark and committed consumer fraud.
Interestingly, bassist Nick Oliveri seems to have been left out of the lawsuit, even though he participated in the reunion. This might have something to do with the fact that he's already embroiled in some legal troubles of his own, or perhaps Oliveri had already withdrawn from the reunion.
A statement from Homme and Reeder explains:
It sucks. To think we went to a meeting in January solely to help them with their request to continue Kyuss Lives! With open arms, we made every attempt to help them continue Kyuss Lives! respectfully. Only to discover while they looked us in the eye, Kyuss Lives! management and band had filed federal documents in 2011 in an attempt to steal the name Kyuss.
This is desperately what we were trying to avoid. It's a sad day for us and for John -- but most of all for the fans. What a needless mess.
In other words, we're guessing that Kyuss Lives!'s planned new album has been thrown into jeopardy.