With Josh Homme’s guitar tuned down two whole steps to C, and plugged into a bass amp for maximum distortion, stoner metal pioneers Kyuss achieve a major milestone in heavy music with their second album, 1992′s Blues for the Red Sun. Producer Chris Goss masterfully captures the band’s unique heavy/light formula, which becomes apparent as soon as the gentle but sinister intro melody gives way to the chugging main riff in the opener, “Thumb.” This segues immediately into the galloping “Green Machine,” which pummels forward inexorably and even features that rarest rock & roll moment: a bass solo. “Thong Song” alternates rumbling guitar explosions with almost complete silence, and “Mondo Generator” plays like an extended acid trip. The slow build of the epic “Freedom Run” and the driving “Allen’s Wrench” are also highlights, and though the album is heavy on instrumentals, these actually provide a seamless transition from song to song. – Eduardo Rivadavia