Album Review: Hermano - Clisson, France
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
When the word starting to spread that Hermano were to headline the 2026 London edition of Desertfest, my thoughts were all over the place. John Garcia is a frontman I’ve admired and revered for many a year, and Hermano a band that I’ve enjoyed from afar, but never had the pleasure of seeing live.
New material had surfaced in October 2024, with the release of “When The Moon Was High” and there was a sense of anticipation and relief that they were back, their conflicting schedules had aligned, and we were treated to their magical ways. So, it was of no surprise when they announced the release of their full show at Hellfest 2016, simply titled “Clisson, France”.
The appeal of this live performance lies in the fact that it had been 8 years previously since they played together and ironically, the last time they played together since their return to the same festival in 2025. This show whets the appetite of fans young and old, from the opening bars of “Left Side Bleeding” with a simple “hello” from Garcia to the raucous ending of “Angry American” this is the band at their expressive best. With songs taken from their previous 3 albums, they spare nobody and produce a performance that has gone down in history.
Chris Leathers commented, “for a brief moment during our set I was reminded how powerful and healing music can be” and when you hear the emotion pouring out of Garcia’s voice on “The Bottle” you can see why. This is a band free from ego, full of creative intent that set out to do something special, and on “Cowboys Suck” you can hear them being explosive, with the drums getting a proper Leathering, sorry about that one, combined with the backing vocals adding depth and harmony to the music.
The bluesy riffs that they became renown for make a welcome appearance during “5 to 5” as they rip through their set with rapid pace, whilst being in complete control of the situation. One of my favourite songs is next, “Senor Moreno’s Plan” as it has everything that you can want, pulsating drums, dramatic vocals, huge riffs and a sound that most bands would die for. When listening back to this, it’s even more remarkable when you consider that they only had a few hours of rehearsal time together before taking to the stage.
“My Boy” and “Love” give further examples of their exemplary compositions, with different tempos and styles flying all over the place, allowing Garcia’s gravelly, and commanding vocals to dominate. What these songs also showcase, is the guitar excellence of Mike Callahan and David Angstrom, beautifully demonstrated on “Is This Ok?” and “Alone Jeffe”. That heavy stoner/blues rhythm works so elegantly alongside bassist Dandy Brown and builds the platform for the quintet to shine.
With a set full of memorable tracks, they manage to go up a few notches for the final three songs. “Kentucky” has a recognisable lead with the drums ramping up the temperature to fever pitch, and then it’s all about Garcia’s vocals and the awesome guitars. They go harder on “Manager’s Special” which sees them with their foot pressing down firmly on the throttle, before they whip the crowd into a frenzy with the spectacular “Angry American”. It must have been one hell of a spectacle to witness this performance, but Europe is in for a treat in May 2026 when they return with a rare and unique opportunity to experience the one and only Hermano.
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