Valis

In 1996, following the final Screaming Trees album, Dust, bassist Van Conner formed a loud, spaced-out psychedelic metal band called Valis, with himself on lead vocals and guitar. When it became clear that the Trees' hiatus was likely to become permanent, Conner focused his attention on his onetime side project, which took its name from a Philip K. Dick novel. The remainder of the group also had a strong Seattle pedigree: brother and guitarist Patrick Conner had been playing in Kitty Kitty; bassist Kurt Danielson had been a member of Tad; and Dan Peters had drummed for several...