And finally it’s there. Hermano’s debut album has been in the pipeline for a couple of years. Steve ‘Dandy’ Brown brought together a couple of household names in the Stoner genre to form what could be considered as an old fashioned Supergroup. Apart from bass player Dandy, who’s known for his work as a producer, we have John Garcia (Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida) on vocals, Steve Earl (Afghan Whigs) on drums and two guitarists: David Angstrom (Black Cat Bone) and Mike Callahan (Disengage). Having John Garcia on vocals automatically means the band will always be compared to Kyuss. Indeed, Hermano does play Stoner rock. The difference is that they’re not as overwhelming but they’re better at writing real songs. No endless riffing or weird twists, just rocking it out together in three or four minute songs with a head and a tail. Never over the top but always on edge. Starting off with “The Bottle” it’s instantly clear that these guys know where it’s at. A hypnotic riff, Garcia’s intense and bluesy vocals, a well thought-out and dynamic song structure, nice breaks and a great guitar solo. In the end the song builds up to the first climax of the album.

Immediately “Alone Jeffe” follows. A more grungy kind of song. Somewhere between Soundgarden, Mudhoney and Unida. That’s another strong side of this record. It’s all within the genre yet it’s pretty varied. “Manager’s Special” for example is a real up tempo rocker while “Landetta” is the dreamy desert rock that goes so well with Garcia’s voice. “5 to 5” and “Nick’s Yea” are heavily 70s influenced. The riff in the latter is clearly based on Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love”. Great! Steve Earl, being one of my favorite drummers, again shows there’s more to rock drumming than just hitting hard. He still has the ability to lay down a groove that’s both tight and swinging. The guitars and bass are up to scratch as well. The only problem I have with this album is the sound. The bass doesn’t really pump, the guitars are a bit too clean and the drums don’t pound like they should. Of course Hermano are a lot more subtle than most bands in this genre but I think they could do with a little more power. But, especially for a debut album, it’s a wonderful record.