Album Review: Hermano - When The Moon Was High...
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I’m sure that there are greater orators and music journalists than me, who, over the years have waxed lyrical about the importance of John Garcia and the significant impact he has played on the whole desert/stoner rock scene. So, I’m not going to embarrass myself by claiming to be an expert but oh my, how fabulous it is to be writing this about new music from Hermano.
There may only be two new studio tracks and four live songs, but “When the Moon was High” spotlights the quintet’s amazing talents, led by the distinctive voice of Garcia and the heavy blues/stoner riffs from guitarists Mike Callahan and David Angstrom, without forgetting the expert drumming from Chris Leathers and silky basslines from Dandy Brown. It’s also their first new material in 15 years, far too long for them to be away from their masses of adoring fans.
It all evolved when the band were remixing/remastering/reissuing their back catalogue, and they uncovered some valuable material which led them to record “Breathe”. The bass line punctures your soul from the very beginning and the song travels back in time, as it’s full of swagger, grabs you by the throat and demands your attention. It’s a track that fills you with joy, as the riffs are so easy to listen to and will put a smile on your face.
This is followed by “Never Boulevard” which was initially tracked back in 1998, and it’s more soulful, relying on the vocal talent of Garcia over a haunting melody, for a more gentle and serene song. It’s a song which you can visualise being sung at the end of a long night of drinking bourbon with tears in the eyes of those listening.
Then we get to the four never heard before live tracks, starting with “Brother Bjork” from the “Dare I Say “ album, recorded live at Willem Twee Poppodium in 2004. The bluesy riff that heralds the beginning is a thing of beauty, then the drums punch right through to give that edge that Hermano were renown for. It’s a superb song, that will have people reaching for their vinyl to listen to the original again.
The next 3 songs were all recorded at Hellfest in 2016, which was the last time the group came together. Considering they hadn’t been together for 8 years beforehand, they rehearsed for a few hours to produce a legendary performance. With “Senor Moreno’s Plan” you get, in my humble opinion, one of their best songs in all it’s glory. If anything sums up Hermano, it is this song, riff heavy, loaded drums, perfect bass rhythm and a vocalist at the top of his game.
They also introduce the only existing audio recording of “Love” which is another slice of stoner rock heaven which emphasizes what a special band Hermano, were, and still are, before this 6-song release concludes with “Manager’s Special” the raucous sound blasting through the speakers to get the feet tapping and head banging. Again, the guitars are exquisite, the drum sound is massive, and the bass is as thick as ever. Oh, it’s good to have Hermano back.
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