Hermano – When The Moon Was High EP

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · October 8, 2024

When I heard the news that Hermano had new material coming out, I was super excited! Ripple Music started reissuing the band’s recordings and from that, we are presented with some new songs to sink our teeth into. Although the album only contains six songs, in which four of them are live, the impact is still incredible. Hermano’s lineup consists of the legendary vocals of John Garcia (Kyuss, Sloburn, Unida, Vista Chino, John Garcia & The Band Of Gold, and other solo recordings), guitarist David Angstrom (Supafuzz , Black Cat Bone, and the excellent Luna Sol (review here), bassist Dandy Brown (Orquesta del Desierto, John Garcia, Alice Tambourine Lover, Yawning Sons, and solo releases), guitarist Mike Callahan (Earshot), and drummer Chris Leathers (Supafuzz).

I have been a fan of Hermano since the beginning when Only A Suggestion was released in 2002. I remember the first time I heard that record, I really enjoyed the music and the vibe it had. The second album Dare I Say, came out in 2004 and in 2007, the third album, Into The Exam Room was released. The band also put out Live At W2 in 2005. So it has been nearly seventeen years since Hermano’s last recording was released. When The Moon Was High has finally arrived and it is twenty seven minutes long and was released on October 4th, 2024.

The opening song “Breathe” is the latest track that Hermano wrote together and it is awesome! It has this killer heavy groove that puts a huge smile on my face. The sound quality is excellent on this song and captures the vitality of the band perfectly. Hermano is back with a vengeance! The vocal delivery of Garcia is what we have come to expect, truly remarkable! The band are firing on all cylinders with “Breathe” and reclaim their top spot in the heavy stoner/riff rock genre. The song starts with Dandy Brown’s funky bass groove and then the rest of the band kicks in with such an infectious riff. Once Garcia enters the mix, the goosebumps set right in. The song brings back the reaction I had twenty two years ago after listening to Only A Suggestion for the first time. The next track “Never Boulevard” has some cool acoustic guitars that lay the groundwork for the song. The background nuances are cool and the guitar leads accentuate it well. However, John Garcia’s beautiful voice enraptures this song. His vocals are truly captivating and have never sounded better.

The last four songs on When The Moon Was High EP are all live tracks. I was originally skeptical on these, before I actually listened to them because sometimes live songs don’t sound that good. However, I was pleasantly impressed with how great these all sound. “Brother Bjork” from the Dare I Say record has a little bluesy intro that then blends right into the song. It’s really cool how the band gets the song going and the music sounds great. The rawness but clear sound is very inviting. All the instruments are mixed at good levels and the clarity is appreciated. The guitar sounds are ferocious, especially in the solos. Callahan and Angstrom do a stellar job with their heavy and bluesy playing. Brown and Leathers are exceptionally solid and tight as well. “Brother Bjork” was taken from the live at W2 set, from 2004.

The next three songs performed as described from the Ripple Music Bandcamp page states: “Taken from the last time the group came together to perform, “Senor Moreno’s Plan”, “Love”, and “Manager’s Special” all give a special glimpse into their lauded reunion at Hellfest in 2016. After eight years of not performing together, John, Dave, Mike, Chris and Dandy arrived a couple of days before the festival, rehearsed for a few hours, and came with a head of steam that left those who witnessed the event both touched and amazed. When The Moon Was High not only features a small sliver of that legendary performance, but also introduces the only existing audio recording of the band’s song “Love.”

The Hellfest show does sound amazing and is a wonderful addition to this album. The brutal sounding guitars and heavy pounding drums with Garcia’s larger than life pipes, are all top notch. Two of songs, “Senor Moreno’s Plan” and “Manager’s Special” are both from the debut, Only A Suggestion. The real prize for me here is the song “Love”, a track that I have never heard before. It’s right in sync with the rest of the Hermano material. Heavy and rocking as one comes to expect with this band. It’s a very good song in its own right and a wonderful addition to this record.

I was fortunate enough to join in on a Ripple Music listening party on Bandcamp, the Wednesday night before the release of the album. It was cool listening to the music with the band and messaging some thoughts about the songs as it was playing. Thanks to Todd at Ripple for the invite and what a great way to launch a new release. I am really hopeful that this will spark the interest of the band to record another full length album in the future. Based on the sounds from When The Moon Was High, Hermano are more than capable to reclaim their position in the upper atmosphere of the heavy riff rock universe.