Hermano: Only A Suggestion

Stoner/Desert rock band Hermano was born in 1998, formed by producer Dandy Brown as a side project that morphed into a full-fledged band. They began working on their first album titled Only A Suggestion in 1999 and completed it in 2000 but because of contractual obligations within the band, the album did not see the light of day until 2002 on Tee Pee Records. In 2022 the band signed with Ripple Music with the intent of reissuing their three releases beginning with their debut.

Only A Suggestion is an excellent debut and it all begins with the guitar and vocals. The riffs are both heavy and catchy, with a good amount of desert fuzz, and the vocals are strong and powerful. These eight tracks burn with intensity beginning with the heavy stomper “The Bottle� showcasing the band’s ability to change gears, slowing it down before the heavy stoner psych is unleashed once again. “Alone Jeffe� is an awesome slow burn where the lead guitar smolders like fire over coals and with “Manager’s Special� the heaviness hits you right between the eyes from the very first note. “Senor Moreno’s Plan� begins with a short trippy intro before robust vocals take hold and a solid groove ensues with just the right amount of distortion. The retro ‘70s hard rock sound in “Landetta (Motherload)� and the mid-tempo hard rock assault in the slightly bluesy “5 To 5� are two more great tracks.

With their pedigree extending to bands like Kyuss, Afghan Whigs, Slo Burn, and Supafuzz, you just know this would be a real burner and that is exactly what you get. Well done, Hermano!

The players:
John Garcia (vocals)
David Angstrom (guitar)
Mike Calahan (guitar)
Steve Earle (drums)
Dandy Brown (bass, organ, piano)

Track Listing:
1. The Bottle (4:47)
2. Alone Jeffe (3:22)
3. Manager’s Special (3:10)
4. Senor Moreno’s Plan (Introduction) (1:10)
5. Senor Moreno’s Plan (4:00)
6. Landetta (Motherload) (3:50)
7. 5 to 5 (3:00)
8. Nick’s Yea (4:41)

Added: February 8th 2025
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 174
Language: english

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