:: Hermano - …Into The Exam Room

Hermano

When Kyuss split up in 1995, the stoner rock scene mourned the demise of an incredible band. The loss however was comforted to some extent by the members various side projects. But while former members have found fame and fortune in the long list of well recognised acts (Including Queens Of The Stone, Mondo Generator, Eagles Of Death Metal, Nebula, Fu Manchu), there is one member that seems to have dropped off the radar for the most part, and that’s vocalist John Garcia. That’s not to say that Garcia has been completely absent from the scene, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. After all, he’s been involved in Slo Burn and Unida, but legal issues and contractual obligations brought about the groups’ eventual demise. One group that Garcia has been somewhat active in is Hermano. In the ten years the band has been together, they’ve managed to produce two full-length albums (2002’s ‘…Only A Suggestion’ and 2005/2006’s ‘Dare I Say…’) and a live album/DVD (2005’s ‘Live At W2’). But while they were all well received, each paled compared to Garcia’s former projects.

Perhaps realising this, and with nothing to lose, Hermano have rethought their direction, and delivered something completely different on their third full-length effort ‘…Into The Exam Room’. The band positively kicks out jams with the distortion pedals in full flare on the opening rocker ‘Kentucky’ in true Hermano fashion, with ‘Exam Room’, the fantastic ‘Left Side Bleeding’, ‘Adoption Boy’ and ‘Our Desert Home’ sounding more inspired than anything that the band have produced in the past. But it’s the remainder of the album that really reveals just how far Hermano are willing to step outside the stoner rock box, with ‘Out Of Key, But In The Mood’, ‘Hard Working Wall’ and ‘Don’t Call Your Mama’ allowing Garcia to add a darker and far more menacing tone to the slower compositions. Meanwhile, on ‘Dark Horse II’, ‘Bona-Fide’ and ‘At The Bar’, Hermano strip the songs right back, allowing acoustic guitars to set the tone and illustrate their story. Garcia has always been a great vocalist, and his former groups’ achievements have always been great, but Hermano often left me feeling disappointed. But with the release of ‘…Into The Exam Room’, Garcia has once again redeemed himself, and helped Hermano produce their first genuine classic.