A bit grunge, a bit metal and a whole lotta rock & roll, 1992's Blues for the Red Sun may well be the finest album by short-lived rock gods Kyuss. With guitars tuned way down and amps turned way up, Blues for the Red Sun practically deafens in its assault, switching from light melodies to hammering riffs in a blink on some tracks ("Thumb", "Thong Song") or slowly building to a high volume release on others ("Freedom Run"). When they do achieve full rock bliss, they do so unrelentlessly--"Green Machine" practically thrashes out for an atypical (for Kyuss, at least) three-and-a-half minutes. Updating Black Sabbath's heaviness by way of Arizona desert psychedelia and epic jams, Blues for the Red Sun established the blueprint for the entire "stoner rock" movement. Even Kyuss never matched it, let alone beat it. --Robert Burrow