Stoner/Desert Rock
Ripple Music
Review By Smudge Smith
Those fine, wonderful, beautiful people at Ripple Music have been busy collating the back catalogue of Hermano, a group put together by some proper stoner geezers. John Garcia (Kyuss), Mike Callahan (Disengage), David Angstrom (Supafuzz), Steve Earle (no not that one) plus Dandy Brown pushed out three superb albums until 2004 when Earle decided to quit allowing Chris Leathers to join his Supafuzz mate Angstrom. Things went seriously tits up at their record label which folded, and it wasn’t until 2016 that the band got the rights back to their music. They handed it to Ripple Music who put out a re-issue of their debut ‘…Only A Suggestion’ last year, which was given a remix by David Barrick and a remaster by Ty Tabor – yes THAT Ty Tabor of King’s X.
Now we have the second instalment. Whilst they were going through the tapes a new song emerged ‘Breathe’ which they released as a single last year then they found the bones of ‘Never Boulevard’. They completed the song after it was originally written twenty-six years ago. A West Coat acoustic round-the-camp-fire groove with Garcia crooning smoothly. There are some fine live cuts on here too. First from the Willem Twee Poppodium from 2004 we get ‘Brother Bjork’ which has a huge classic Sabbathy riff and groove and for those in attendance this performance has become legendary. The final three tracks are taken from the last gig the band ever played live – Hellfest 2016. ‘Senor Moreno’s Plan’ is a wicked wacked out freak-a-long before the only recording in existence of the song ‘Love’ which is, I must say, an absolute joy. It’s huge and bluesy and it makes you move your hips and close your eyes. ‘Manager’s Special’ brings some punk energy with Leathers knocking the living shit out of his kit. To think that they had not played together in 8 years. They had a couple of hours rehearsal then played like it was only yesterday.
If Ripple keep unearthing gems like this then they’re gonna be busy. This is the sound of a band doing what they want in the way they want. No compromise!
Track List –
Breathe
Never Boulevard
Brother Bjork
Senor Moreno’s Plan
Love
Manager’s Special
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