Cult Californian stoner rock band HERMANO (fronted by Kyuss vocalist John Garcia) shares a second track off “when the moon was high…”, their first new record in fifteen years to be issued on October 4th through Ripple Music.
The new album “when the moon was high…” brings the moons of HERMANO back into alignment. As they embarked on the remix/remaster/reissue of their entire back catalog on Ripple Music, the band formed by John Garcia (Kyuss) on vocals, bassist Dandy Brown, guitarists Mike Callahan (Disengage) and David Angstrom (Supafuzz), and drummer Chris Leathers (Supafuzz) uncovered some valuable material while revisiting tapes, drives, and cherished memories accumulated over their 26 years of friendship. Taking back claim to the territory they had charted years ago, the upcoming limited-edition release of “when the moon was high…” features their first new music since 2007’s “…Into The Exam Room”, introducing two new studio tracks and four live songs (including a never-released track), showcasing the sticky-sweet and heavy blues riffs and tones that are unique to the veteran quintet.
The first single “Breathe” (listen here) was recorded in 2023 and travels back to the band’s first release, filled with the same swagger and heavy hand as the band’s initial offerings, reinforcing the band’s undeniable impact upon modern heavy rock, stoner rock, and driving blues genres. Written for the first HERMANO sessions, the album’s second track “Never Boulevard” was tracked during the last few hours while recording in Cincinnati during the winter of 1998. Rediscovered while organizing the master tapes for the Ripple Music reissues and utilizing the original core tracks, the band has finally brought the song to completion twenty-six years later.
Rounding out the limited-edition are four never-before-heard live tracks that again underline the unique place in heavy blues music HERMANO occupies. “Brother Bjork” serves as more evidence to the band’s stellar performance at the Willem Twee Poppodium in 2004, a show that continues to be hailed as one of the finest the venue has ever hosted. 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”.
HERMANO “when the moon was high…”
Out October 4th on Ripple Music (limited LP/CD/digital)
Preorder the album
TRACKLIST:
1. Breathe
2. Never Boulevard
3. Brother Bjork (live at W2)
4. Senor Moreno’s Plan (live at Hellfest)
5. Love (live at Hellfest)
6. Manager’s Special (live at Hellfest)
The story begins twenty-six years ago in a second-floor apartment in Covington, Kentucky. The details are of a band that never was… There are those who already know the story. They remember the first time they heard about HERMANO, the whispers of a super-group that had tracked an album backed by Frank Kozik and set to be released on Man’s Ruin Records. When Kozik’s label closed shop before the album could be released, those who knew of the project waited through nearly four years of contractual obligations to be cleared before they could hear an album that not only lived up to its promise but also established itself as one of the most influential heavy blues (aka stoner rock) collections ever recorded.
HERMANO first formed when David Angstrom (Supafuzz), Steve Earle (Afghan Whigs), Mike Callahan (Disengage), and John Garcia (Kyuss) agreed to lend their talents to the session’s producer Dandy Brown had scheduled for December of 1998. Coming together for the first time in Cincinnati, the initial riffs that Brown had constructed were arranged by the newly formed group and would become the foundation for the band’s debut album “Only a Suggestion”.
Over the next decade, HERMANO would go on to release three studio albums (“Only a Suggestion”, “Dare I Say” and “Into the Exam Room”) and a live record (“Live at W2”). Embarking on a series of now-legendary sold-out live performances in the United States and Europe, Hermano continued to grow a legion of dedicated fans and critical acclaim. Following the European tour in support of their debut album, Steve Earle’s departure to pursue his solo project opened the door for veteran drummer Chris Leathers (Supafuzz) to step in during the band’s performance at FestiMad in 2004. Performing on the next two studio albums and their live release, Leathers’ addition to the group cemented another chapter in the friendships established during the band’s formation six years earlier.
Recording albums and touring when they wanted to, not because they were contractually obligated to, HERMANO quickly became known as the greatest band that never was, a tongue-in-cheek tip of the hat to the impact and influence of a band that consistently refused to operate on anyone’s schedule other than their own. Six years after HERMANO’s last live performance at Hellfest in the summer of 2016, the band acquired full ownership of their entire catalog and committed to sonically updating it and reissuing it with San Francisco-based Ripple Music. The first reissue “…Only a Suggestion” was released in the fall of 2023 and provided a fully enhanced version of the album, entirely remixed by David Barrick (Black Stone Cherry, Kentucky Headhunters) and mastered by Ty Tabor (King’s X).
HERMANO line-up:
John Garcia – vocals
Dandy Brown – bass
Mike Callahan – guitar
David Angstrom – guitar
Chris Leathers – drums
RIPPLE MUSIC links
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