Review: Hermano ‘When The Moon Was High’
Hermano, the revered cult stoner rock group featuring bassist Dandy Brown, Mike Callahan and David Angstrom on guitars, drummer Chris Leathers and legendary Kyuss frontman John Garcia have never been one to do things conventionally. Directed by Brown, the group originally assembled as a studio project that came together to work on music compiled by the producer, and in a lightning-in-a-bottle moment created the foundation for their debut …Only A Suggestion despite never having set foot in a room together before that.
This absence of defined structure meant the band had complete freedom to come and go with little in the way of commercial pressure, allowing the members to tap into the secret sauce that made their union so special in the first place.
Despite a rocky start owing to the collapse of Man’s Ruin Records and subsequent contractual hurdles delaying the release of the album, Hermano would follow up with two more studio albums (Dare I Say, 2005 and Into The Exam Room, 2007) plus a live offering as their schedule was determined by doing what they wanted, when they wanted it and earning them the moniker of ‘the band that never was’.
Having finally acquired full ownership of their catalogue, some six years removed from their last live appearance at Hellfest in 2016, they began remixing and remastering their albums for release through Ripple Music with Only A Suggestion sounding absolutely divine when it was released last November. During this process, the band discovered all manner of valuable material and the first new music for 17 years when the moon was high has emerged.
Consisting of two brand new tracks and four never-heard-before live cuts, three taken from their 2016 Hellfest reunion and Brother Bjork from the 2004 performance at W2 Poppodium, this release is both a reward for the long patience of their fanbase and a teaser for the prospect of more from the ‘supergroup’.
Opening track Breathe emerged from the reissuing project and was recorded in 2023 but the connection to that first record is palpable. Despite (or perhaps because of) the members being intertwined musically with each other in and out of the band over the last twenty-six years, the moment the noodling bass begins and the other instruments swell and rise to join it, the feeling of Hermano waking up and shaking off the rust is apparent. By the time the main riff swaggers in with that sweet, thick, downtuned blues that they made their own, the band are in full swing like time is an illusion. Then in comes Garcia, ageless and commanding, effortlessly showing that he is the voice of stoner rock.
Featuring a delicious solo run, smashing drums and a bouncing groove, the track is classic Hermano, crisp and tuneful with just enough fuzz to add that sweltering desert heat feeling and is as rocking as the clever metaphor I had in my mind’s eye, but couldn’t translate into text without repeating the word rocking.
fans of Hermano will undoubtedly rabidly devour the chance to hear Garcia and co give us fresh offerings…
Never Boulevard was initially composed back at the end of the Only A Suggestion sessions but was never completed. During the process of sifting through the master tapes of that album, it was rediscovered and completed using the original core track to bring it to life.
Semi-acoustic, featuring a tender strummed guitar and Garcia’s breathy, enchanting delivery over a subtle, swaying rhythm, it is a warm, tender and muted ballad. The meandering squall of the lead is sensuous as the vocals croon, ‘I did my time, you did yours, you just fine, I did alright’.
The two studio tracks showcase the dexterity of this special group of musicians to flex their songwriting prowess and effortlessly switch between styles to create magic.
Of the remaining tracks, Brother Bjork (from Dare I Say) probably heads the pack with its drawn-out blues boogie and hypnotising performance from Garcia who soars over the proceedings whilst the band highlight why they earned such a rabid fanbase from those in the know. From the Hellfest set, Senor Moreno’s Plan and Manager’s Special show the band at their hard-rocking best as they tear through the two tracks from the first album, but the real gem is the only existing recording of Love with its sultry tones and desert rock crunch.
Much lauded with the prospect of the first new material since 2007, a casual observer might view one new track, the completion of a song twenty-six years old and some live recordings as a little thin for the hype, but fans of Hermano will undoubtedly rabidly devour the chance to hear Garcia and co give us fresh offerings. Hopefully, this is the perfect teaser to the next re-issue and perhaps even a new long player down the line.
One thing is for certain, Hermano have always done things on their own terms which is what has made them so special to many.
Label: Ripple Music
Band Links: Spotify
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
