Which alternative rock band was formed by musician Josh Homme?

Queens of the Stone Age is the alternative rock band formed by musician Josh Homme.

Homme founded the band in 1996 after the breakup of Kyuss, his influential Palm Desert group. The new project initially operated under the name Gamma Ray, but changed its name after a German band threatened legal action. Queens of the Stone Age released its self-titled debut album in 1998, with Homme handling vocals, guitar, and bass and former Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernández playing drums.

The band’s lineup changed repeatedly over the years, but Homme remained its only constant member. That stability helped make him the central songwriter and defining creative force behind the group. Queens of the Stone Age developed from the desert-rock and stoner-rock scene into a broader alternative-rock act known for heavy riffs, unusual arrangements, and collaborators from across rock music.

Kyuss is the most likely source of confusion: Homme was a member of Kyuss, but he did not form that band. Them Crooked Vultures was another group Homme later helped create with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones, while Foo Fighters were formed by Grohl.