Posted in Whathaveyou on January 27th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Congratulations to Floridian heavybringers Florist on signing to Ripple Music following their well-received 2025 outing, Adrift (review here). The label will oversee a vinyl pressing of the short-album-type offering this summer as the band continue to build momentum through Spring touring — you’ll see three thus-far announced dates below, the first of them at Legalize Lex‘s pre-show — and word of mouth.
You might recall Florist toured last year with Hollow Leg ahead of Adrift‘s release, the two bands making their way up the Eastern Seaboard around slots at the final Maryland Doom Fest. I don’t know what they’ve got in the works for 2026 beyond what’s been said below, but if the priority is knuckling down and putting togeter an album that knocks people on their ass, I don’t think their time would be misspent even if they weren’t going door-to-door at dive bars.
Credit where it’s due, this news broke on the ‘Rich and Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour’ podcast (I was on a conference thing with those guys and a few others this weekend; fascinating times; they’re nice though in my experience), and the following was posted on socials afterward by guitarist/vocalist Frankie Consoli:
Florist just signed a record deal with Ripple Music! So your boy and the homies are now legitimately signed artists! That being said, thank you all so much for supporting us, believing in us, and telling people about us (especially you Rich Piva). As I say on stage, we are Florist, now you are Florist. I truly mean that. There is no Florist without you. 🙏🏼
Ripple will be releasing and distributing Adrift on vinyl worldwide come this summer, and we are already working on music for our next album which will be fully released under the Ripple label.
Florist live: April 16th – Lexington, KY Al’s Bar of Lexington Legalize Lex Pre-Fest April 17th – Charlotte, NC The Milestone Club April 18th – Birmingham, AL True Story Brewing Company
Florist on Adrift: Frankie Consoli – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Sitar Kevin Roy – Bass, Backing Vocals Mike Amador – Drums, Backing Vocals Jer Dillow – Theremin, Synthesizers, Percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 14th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Last Spring, Boise, Idaho, progressive heavy rockers Ealdor Bealu celebrated a decade together with a West Coast tour. During their time, the band have produced three full-length albums in 2017’s Dark Water at the Foot of the Mountain (review here), 2019’s Spirit of the Lonely Places (review here) and 2022’s Psychic Forms (review here), infusing their work with an increasing reach and a sense of high-desert vastness purposeful in its landscaping-through-sound. That the band have a fourth record on the way is good news, and that it will arrive sometime later this year with the backing of Ripple Music is all the better.
One might throw in a request for some catalog reissues as well, certainly for the last two, if not all three of the LPs linked above, but a new album will be welcome and one expects that the forward-thinking melody and musicality shown through their work to-date will remain intact, resulting in something that feels grown out of what they’ve done before but that can stand on its own as well. At least that’s how they’ve done it thus far. What follows here, hoisted unceremoniously from social media in the cut-and-paste fashion that’s probably as out of date as the rest of this site, is just the signing announcement. There’s no concrete word of a new album, but such a thing exists or will exist and that’s why you’re being told about the signing.
A teaser, then, with more to come. Fine. I’ll take it for today and look forward to what’s coming. If you’ve got a most-anticipated-for-2026 list, or upcoming-albums or whatever you might want to call it now that we’re actually half a month into the New Year, hold a space for this one.
From socials:
Please welcome to the Ripple Family. Ealdor Bealu. Bringing with them one of the most original sounds in heavy psych desert rock. Look for a new album later this year.
Thanks to Brad Frye for bringing us together!
Says the band:
It is with great pleasure that we announce our biggest news to date… Ealdor Bealu has officially signed with Ripple Music!! We’re so incredibly honored to be joining forces with one of the most prolific labels in the Stoner/Heavy-Psych/Desert game, it’s been a long time coming and we’re stoked to finally find a proper label home for the band.
Our long awaited 4th full-length record will see a heralded release on Ripple this summer on Vinyl/CD/Digital formats!! We’re thrilled to finally get this record out to all of you who have patiently waited over these past couple years. Keep watch over our socials for more news and updates, we can’t wait to share what we have in store with you all 🖤
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 9th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Cyprus heavy rockers Stonus have signed to Ripple Music and are back March 20 with their second full-length, Space to Dive, which they’re heralding today with the new single/video “Hope Dose.” In the clip, you’ll find classic desert-style shove and an uptempo energy that suits the portrayal of the band onstage that makes up part of the clip along with some narrative shots, and don’t worry, they tell you when it’s time to party. And they’re not wrong.
“Hope Dose” makes an interesting first glimpse at Space to Dive, which apparently themes itself around the flow of energy through the universe (as one will) and finds ‘space’ for a kind of mystique in the science of that. I look forward to hearnig how the theme plays out in the material and if it manifests in the songs or was more of a guiding principle during the making of the record rather than a tangible part of the finished product.
The PR wire brought art and info as they begin the promo cycle. Expect at least one more single, probably tour dates and all the rest in the months to come:
Cypriot heavy rockers STONUS to release sophomore album “Space to Dive” on Ripple Music this March 20th; new video “Hope Dose” available now!
Straight from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus heavy rock torchbearers STONUS return with their sophomore full-length “Space to Dive” this March 20th on Ripple Music, and unleash their rip-roaring new single and video “Hope Dose” on all platforms today!
Firing on all cylinders and not looking in the rearview mirror, STONUS are ready to set the world on fire with their high-octane and anthemic new single “Hope Dose”! The band comments: “Hope Dose addresses our daily choice between self-destruction and self- improvement. It is about accepting and embracing the darker side of the self, acknowledging that growth requires confronting inner shadows rather than escaping them. Choices carry consequences, but at the end of the day, survival often comes down to holding onto hope, and sometimes, releasing tension through raw, unapologetic living.”
🔥 Watch new video “Hope Dose” at this location 🔥 + listen to the track on all streaming platforms:https://lnkfi.re/hopestonus
Their forthcoming sophomore album “Space to Dive” is a transcendent journey into the space within, an esoteric exploration aimed at redefining identity through intuition, sound, and self-discovery. Inspired by the torus field — the visual representation of sound, energy, and atomic vibration — the record explores the continuous flow between the inner self and the universe. “To us, this space represents infinite potential: a meeting point between consciousness, creation, and what could be perceived as the face of God. “Space to Dive” challenged us to move beyond comfort, allowing instinct and vulnerability to guide the songwriting. The result is a more personal and intuitive expression, where each track reflects fragments of introspection, transformation, and awakening,” says the band.
Stonus on “Hope Dose”: “‘Hope Dose’ addresses our daily choice between self-destruction and selfimprovement. It is about accepting and embracing the darker side of the self, recognising that growth requires confronting inner shadows rather than escaping them. Choices carry consequences, but at the end of the day survival often comes down to holding onto hope, and sometimes, releasing tension through raw, unapologetic living.”
Recorded at Wreck It Sound Studios in Corinth, in collaboration with Johnny S.A. (former 1000mods), “Space to Dive” captures the fiery quintet at the peak of their creativity. The mastering, handled by legendary engineer Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, QOTSA, Deftones, Kyuss, Metallica), adds both sonic depth and a rare prestige to the final work. The visual world of the album was crafted by Kamil Czapiga of Cosmodernism, whose mastery of cymatics translates sound into geometry with alchemical precision.
Despite the challenges of being spread across three countries whilst touring and working simultaneously, the realisation of this concept proved essential to the band. “Space to Dive” stands as both a personal reckoning and a universal exploration – an invitation to dive inwards to better understand the whole.
Posted in Reviews on January 8th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Closing in on a decade after the fact, Hermano‘s appearance at the 2016 Hellfest Open Air Festival in — as the title of the live record puts it in if-you-know-you-know fashion, Clisson, France — was clearly a pivotal moment for the band. Sure enough, there’s a point in the second half of the set, right after “Is This Ok?,” where vocalist John Garcia (ex-Kyuss, ex-Unida, solo, etc.) goes around the stage and says where everyone came from and the reason they were there is “for you.”
The “you” there, of course, is the Hellfest crowd, who erupt in appreciate cheers every time a place is named, from Denver to Joshua Tree and Palm Springs, California, to Cleveland and Atlanta. I don’t know how many in the crowd in France really know where Cleveland is as relates to Atlanta and Palm Springs — that’s West Coast, East Coast and Midwest represented — but for a band who started out in 1998, put out three LPs between then and 2007 and fizzled as members went on to other doings, that had to feel pretty special. Like, I’m sure that’s not the only reason Clisson, France is being released, but if you needed just one, it’d serve.
In 2024, Ripple Music put out Hermano‘s EP When the Moon was High… (review here), with two previously unreleased studio tracks, and four live cuts, three of which, “Love,” “Manager’s Special” and “Senor Moreno’s Plan,” came from this performance. Considering Hermano, prior to 2024, hadn’t had a release of any kind since 2007’s so-much-better-than-I’ve-ever-heard-anyone-give-it-credit-for-being …Into the Exam Room (discussed here), one might forgive the repetition.
Hermano actually appeared again at Hellfest in 2025, so there’s been some return to activity over the last years, and one can’t help but wonder if momentum isn’t leading toward a new studio album even as Garcia, bassist Dandy Brown (The Fizz Fuzz, Orquesta del Desierto, etc.), guitarists Dave Angstrom (Luna Sol, Supafuzz) and Mike Callahan (Disengage) and drummer Chris Leathers (Supafuzz) are all plenty busy besides and geographically dispersed as noted. Nice thought, but for now, the most hint they’re dropping in that regard arrives in the midtempo “Love,” which was ‘the new song’ 10 years ago, and what that means is it was put together sometime after 2007. Maybe table those new LP expectations until the announcement comes through, hmm?
So, taken in its own context, one might think of Clisson, France as a victory lap for an underheralded band, long cast — by me as well — as one of the several in Garcia‘s post-Kyuss ouevre, a ‘John Garcia band’ when in fact they’ve always had more going on, never more so than on …Into the Exam Room. That being said, their focus is earlier in the Hellfest set, as almost the entirety of 2002’s debut, …Only a Suggestion (discussed here) — “The Bottle,” “Alone Jeffe,” “Manager’s Special,” “Senor Moreno’s Plan” and “5 to 5” — and a goodly portion of the 2004 follow-up, Dare I Say…, with “Cowboys Suck,” “My Boy,” “Is This Ok?” and the ripper finale “Angry American” included. Only “Left Side Bleeding,” which opens, and the later “Kentucky” feature from …Into the Exam Room, and there could be any number of reasons for that.
Sales might be one. I know we’re not supposed to talk about that kind of thing because like art happens in an imaginary vaccum somehow distant from the real world it’s speaking to, but if you’re talking about a record that didn’t get its due, sales are one way that might be demonstrated. I don’t have figures on the relative units moved, so I’m not going to say that’s definitely the thing, but if Hermano got more response to their 2002 and 2004 outings, it would make sense that less from the 2007 LP would be included.
The relative complexity of the arrangements from …Into the Exam Room would be another factor, and though I find myself drawn to these incarnations of those songs for the contrast with their layered, more polished studio versions, I recognize that sometimes that kind of thing is hard to bring to life on stage, even with Angstrom and/or Brown doing vocal backups. It’s fun to hear Garcia rip into “Left Side Bleeding,” though, and that song and “Kentucky” serve as a draw to fans who might have bought Hermano‘s Live at W2 sometime in the 21 years since its release wondering what’s distinguishing Clisson, France beyond the passage of time.
Well, that’s part of it. “Angry American,” the two cuts from the third album, “Is This Ok?” and “Love” didn’t appear on Live at W2, which means that seven of the 12 inclusions did, but it’s a different sound, a different space, a different drummer and a different time, so if you’re looking at that on paper and thinking Hermano are repeating themselves needlessly, I think maybe they just have a lot of songs that their audience wants to hear. That “Brother Bjork” isn’t on Clisson, France is a strike against it in comparison to Live at W2, but no way on earth would I trade “Love” or the perfectly rolling “Kentucky” for it. Fortunately, planet earth has room for two Hermano live albums to be released over two decades apart from each other.
But going on a full 10 years after the fact, Hermano‘s 2016 Hellfest appearance was a clear landmark for the band. To wit, I didn’t see them there and have no reason to retain it, yet I knew without reading the press release what year this performance took place. It was an important moment for them as a band. I won’t speculate on what will or won’t take shape from Hermano in the years to come, apart at least from the European touring they’ll do this Spring and perhaps more catalog reissues through Ripple at some point down the line, but if you want to know why people still sweat the band so long after their last record, the answer is written all over Clisson, France, whether it’s the bluesy energy of Angstrom‘s soloing, Garcia‘s belting out the cyclical hook of “My Boy,” or the sheer charge of “Cowboys Suck,” “Angry American” and others here. Maybe it’s a fan-piece. Fine. Let it make you a fan.
Hermano, “Manager’s Special” live at Hellfest 2016
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 6th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Washington D.C. heavy rockers Borracho released their sixth album, Ouroboros (review here), through Ripple Music last August, and it looks like they’ll spend a decent portion of 2026 supporting it. They were previously announced for Mojave Experience Fest in March, and they’ve announced dates around that with stops in San Diego and Los Angeles leading them to the festival. They’ve got East Coast shows this and next month as well, keeping company with Clamfight, Sun Voyager, Guhts, The Obsessed and others.
Not the most extensive tour ever, but it doesn’t need to be and it won’t be the last time Borracho get out this year. If you caught the initial wave of announcements for Ripplefest Texas 2026 (posted here), you’ll note Borracho were in there, and likely they’ll do other shows en route one way or the other. The trio also recently signed with Broken Music for European booking, heralding a European tour for Oct. 2026 that, just by virtue of the month in question, will likely include a few festival stops. I don’t know what else they might have in store, but a return to Europe alone is plenty to plan for throughout the course of this year.
Those dates, obviously, are still TBA, but here are the next couple months’ worth of shows Borracho are playing. Looking hard at that Lucky 13 gig, I am.
From social media:
Happy new year! We’re gonna be out playing some shows for y’all over the next few months, from the east to the west. Mark your calendars, and get ticket links in our bio. Friday night Mojave Experience show is already sold out!
Jan 24 – Philly at Century Bar w/Clamfight, Boozewa & God Called in Sick Feb 3 – DC at Pie Shop w/ Ritual Arcana Feb 21 – Brooklyn at Lucky 13 w/ Sun Voyager, Guhts & The Crooked Skulls March 11 – Baltimore at Metro w/ The Obsessed & Foghound March 18 – LA at The Escondite w/ Doomboyz & Sonic Blossoms March 19 – San Diego at The Tower Club w/ Nebula Drag March 20 – Yucca Valley at Mojave Gold for Mojave Experience Fest
BORRACHO: Steve Fisher – Guitar, Vocals Mario Trubiano – Drums, Percussion Tim Martin – Bass, Backing Vocals
New Orleans heavy rock veterans Suplecs will release their fifth album and first in 15 years, Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky, on Feb. 20 through Ripple Music. If that doesn’t elicit a Stone-Cold-Steve-Austin-circa-’96-level ‘hell yeah’ from the frontal cortex of your brain, feel free to go back and read it again. There’s new Suplecs coming. Rockers, awaken.
It should tell you something that Suplecs — who’ve never been the biggest of big bands or the most hyped, who’ve toured plenty in their time but not in a long time, and so on — have released albums through the three record labels most responsible for defining the course of American heavy rock over the last 25-plus years. Their first two LPs, 2000’s Wrestlin’ With My Ladyfriend and 2001’s Sad Songs… Better Days (discussed here) were on Man’s Ruin. The story of 2005’s Powtin’ on the Outside Pawty on the Inside is complex and the album was released through a local imprint, but 2011’s Mad Oak Redoux (review here) was on Small Stone, and Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky being on Ripple completes the trifecta. It is not a coicidence.
I went 11 years between seeing them at a Small Stone showcase in Philly in 2011 (review here) and in Richmond, Virginia, in 2022 at Alabama Thunderpussy‘s reunion show (review here), and was still looking forward to it, no questions asked. If you went to Ripplefest Texas in 2025, you already know why. When they got on stage, they delivered like a band who — perhaps contrary to the insistant chorus of opening track “Got Nothing” here — had more to say. Rooted in ’90s-style fuzz, Suplecs have always kept the forms loose and the performances tight, and despite the severity of the title, Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky retains some of the humor, funk and swing that have made their first two LPs classics by now, and will be recognizable for that. In ideal fashion, the fifth record accounts for the band’s beginnings and roots, while having grown well beyond them.
The narrative of Suplecs‘ sound was never actually so simple as ‘fuzz plus riffs,’ and Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky reinforces this as well, in part with two side-ending divergences in the string-inclusive “Old Spanish Trail,” which builds around a purposefully slogging jangle guitar line with an evocative melody and is the longest inclusion at 6:45, and the album-capper “La Ti Da,” which harnesses the largesse of side B leadoff “Damn These Pills” and works in a Mardi Gras horn section to blow out the finish with a huge nod that, thankfully, at no point in its drawling ourse approaches being ska. Bullet dodged, gentlemen. And with apparent ease. Other cuts like the strutting “Blackwater Rising,” or the taut two-minute roller “Pentacle Star” or the punker thrust of “$6 Man” or the midtempo howler “I See You” (premiering below), which is apparently a crunching ode to guitarist/vocalist Durel Yates‘ mother, create a flow through material that still holds its ripper sensibility at the core — “Mountain,” “Forest of Fire,” “Heartless Bodies,” etc. — and builds complexity around the root methodology.
Which tells you what? Suplecs aren’t wasting their time. Throughout Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky, Yates, bassist/vocalist Danny Nick and drummer Andrew Preen are very clearly not unaware of the decade and a half it’s been since they were last heard from in a studio capacity — they’ve still played live, built a local Mardi Gras following, and so on, as you can read in the PR wire info below — and there are aspects of Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky that speak to the band sitting down, hammering out the songs, putting time and effort into sculpting a sound that, in parts anyway, wants you as the listener to think it’s off the cuff. It works in the sense of making difficult changes sound less difficult, and calls to mind a sneaky songwriterism that’s always been underlying and continues to make songs memorable here.
Ain’t nobody gettin’ any younger, in Suplecs or otherwise, and Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky resonates with a feeling of the band locking in with a purpose. Part of that is expressive, part is expansive, part is clearly about the chemistry and the joy Yates, Nick and Preen feel creating music together, and all of it results in a gorgeous 48-minute/12-track outing that, yeah, pushes the form of a vinyl LP, but makes its every moment essential through urgent delivery and the already noted, purposeful variety.
I’ll not feign impartiality; I’m glad this record exists, and more, I’m glad it doesn’t suck. Rather, it feels like Suplecs stepping up to a moment that, hopefully, will see them able to get some of the broader plaudits for which they’re long overdue. No, I don’t think they’ll ever be the biggest or most hyped band, but one can’t ignore the fact that Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky will likely be Suplecs‘ introduction to a lot of listeners in a generation that’s come up since 2010, and I have a hard time imagining it being anything other than well received.
December was last month, and that was year-end list time. I’ll tell you in all seriousness that I have Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky in my notes for Dec. 2026 already, so when it comes around again, you can’t say you’re surprised. If/when you hear the album, I’m not sure how you could be.
I hope they get added to Emissions From the Monolith.
Enjoy “I See You” in the visualizer below, followed by more from the aforementioned PR wire:
Suplecs, “I See You” visualizer premiere
“Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky” is a gut-wrenching ride through the New Orleans trio’s world. It ranges from the relentless, Maiden-meets-Sabbath attack of “Got Nothing” to the haunting, brass-backed NOLA jazz funeral dirge of “La Ti Da” featuring the horns of Egg Yolk Jubilee. The album fearlessly tackles themes of death, divorce, suicide and addiction (“Blackwater Rising”), balanced by moving tributes such as guitarist and vocalist Durel Yates’ ode to his mother, “I See You”. It weaves in diverse influences, from Black Flag swagger to prog-jazz intricacy, culminating in the dynamic first single: “No Apologies.”
The album’s title and artwork are deeply rooted in New Orleans history and personal narrative. The cover features a 1960s painting by Danny Nick’s father, famed Jackson Square artist Richard “D.Nick” Nick, depicting the pirate Jean Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, which housed an arsenal of weapons strategic to the victory of The Battle Of New Orleans in the War of 1812. The title, Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky, serves as a tribute to the band’s resilient, outsider spirit—forging an arsenal of riffs in secrecy to pay homage to the only home they’ve ever known.
TRACKLIST: 1. Got Nothing 2. Pentacle Star 3. I See You 4. Forest of Fire 5. Blackwater Rising 6. Old Spanish Trail 7. Damn These Pills 8. Mountain 9. $6 Man 10. Heartless Bodies 11. No Apologies 12. La Ti Da
Marked by life’s passages, Suplecs have maintained a vital presence, most notably with their annual Mardi Gras show—a New Orleans staple for over 500 attendees, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025. Now, after years of fan-favorite live sets, the band is channeling decades of raw experience, swagger, and heaviness into writing their highly anticipated fifth album, promising a powerful culmination of their storied career.
SUPLECS is Danny Nick – Bass, Vocals Durel Yates – Guitars, Vocals Andrew Preen – Drums, Percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 2nd, 2026 by JJ Koczan
I’m not sure what the occasion might be that has them headed out, but I’m also not sure The Obsessed need an occasion in the first place. The Wino-led doom legends have eight shows over the course of nine days lined up for this coming March, and I can’t help but notice one of them is local to me. Like, very local. I got to see Electric Citizen at Autodidact Beer this past summer, having missed Howling Giant there in April, and finally I understood why everyone online complains when tours aren’t hitting their town. Turns out it’s really nice to have a touring band come through a local spot. I didn’t know, because until Autodidact, it had never happened. I think Wishbone Ash played an office space near here one time, but beyond that you’re driving at least half an hour to get to anything.
But the dearth of venues throughout Morris County, New Jersey, isn’t your problem so much as mine. I’d be going to the show because, well, it exists and it’s right there and it’s heavy and duh, but I’ll note it’s been since Freak Valley 2023 (review here) that I last saw the band, which was prior to the release of their 2024 album, Gilded Sorrow (review here), and before they were joined by “Monster Bob” Pantella (The Atomic Bitchwax, Monster Magnet, ex-Raging Slab, etc.), so yeah, I’m probably due to be steamrolled by Wino riffs. I’ve already got it on my new Baby Goats 2026 calendar. That’s an early show, so eat your gummy before you leave the house. Or, you know, just have a beer or six when you get there. I don’t drink, but my wife likes Autodidact, and she’s about as discerning as any aficionado I’ve ever met.
If you’re not here, maybe you’re in one of the other spots. All the ticket links are below, because even though I’m not presenting the Jersey gig I remain a shill:
Hello everybody, The Obsessed are excited to announce our March 2026 USA show dates ! We are looking forward to getting out and playing some music for you – get yer tickets early!!
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Hermano have an efficient stretch of European touring coming up next Spring, which will take them to Desertfest Berlin, Desertfest London, Sonic Whip and Obsidian Dust, as well as club shows in France, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. They’ll keep company with Solace and others for the going. Last year, they issued the EP When the Moon Was High (review here), as their first studio offering of any sort (in other words, it was archival, but still) since 2007.
This is an uptick in activity for Hermano. For example, when they played the 2016 edition of Hellfest in Clisson, France, that’s now being released Feb. 8 as the live LP aptly titled Clisson, France, I don’t think they did much else on stage. And Hellfest was again where they wound up earlier this year, so it seems like there’s a relationship there between the fest and the band. So much the better if they’re comfortable.
Obviously, if Hermano were to knuckle down with the lineup they have and put together a new record, well, I wouldn’t be complaining about it. As it is, that they’re doing anything at all feels like a win, and we know from experience one thing leads to the next. For now, here’s what’s up via the PR wire:
HERMANO: Hellfest live album coming on Ripple Music
California’s heavy blues titans HERMANO (fronted by iconic Kyuss vocalist John Garcia) announce their new live album “Clisson, France” this February 6th on Ripple Music and present a first video with the roaring single “Left Side Bleeding”. The announcement comes with news of a European spring tour, including festival appearances.
About the upcoming Hellfest 2016 live album, guitarist Dave Angstrom enthuses: “We were honored to be invited to perform at Hellfest 2016. It had been several years since we all had been in the same room, let alone had the chance to jam together—and it was an incredible experience. Being with my closest friends in France, connecting with the amazing audience, and having the opportunity to spend time with my family while experiencing the magic of Hellfest is a memory I will always cherish. Capturing that first Hellfest experience for Hermano on vinyl is special, serving as a reminder of the strong bond, love, and friendship I share with John, Chris, Mike, and Dandy. I’m a lucky man. We are so appreciative of Todd Severin and the Ripple Music family for getting this out. We hope everyone enjoys what we created that memorable evening as much as we enjoyed being there together.”
Recording albums and touring when they wanted to since their formation nearly three decades ago, Hermano has always consistently refused to operate on anyone’s schedule other than their own. Lured by the repeated calls of their devoted fans, though, the band first reunited for a stirring performance at Hellfest in Clisson, France, in the summer of 2016. Eight years removed from their last live performance, they arrived in Clisson with time to rehearse through their material for a couple of hours before taking the stage. In what has been hailed as the most thrilling set of the 2016 edition of Hellfest, that evening the audience witnessed a band hitting on all cylinders, a performance so energetic and seamless that those in attendance were in awe that the band had not performed together since 2008.
Captured on both audio and video, “Clisson, France” promises to be one of the most magical and significant live releases of 2026. It will be issued on limited LP edition, CD, and digital format on February 6 through Ripple Music, as well as on DVD through the band’s channels.
Not ready to stop there, encouraged by the fervor of fans across the globe, Hermano has booked their first extensive tour in over a decade for the spring of 2026. For both old and new fans of the band, these shows will offer a rare and unique opportunity to experience one of the most influential and thrilling groups in the heavy blues genre.
Hermano European tour 2026 May 7 – Paris (FR) La Maroquinerie May 8 – Utrecht (NL) Tivoli Vredenburg May 9 – Cologne (DE) Luxor May 11 – Vienna (AT) Arena May 12 – Munich (DE) Backstage Halle May 14 – Berlin (DE) Desertfest Berlin May 15 – London (UK) Desertfest London May 16 – Nijmegen (NL) Sonic Whip May 17 – Brussels (BE) Obsidian Dust
TRACKLIST: 1. Left Side Bleeding 2. The Bottle 3. Cowboys Suck 4. 5 to 5 5. My Boy 6. Is This Ok 7. Alone Jeffe 8. Kentucky 9. Manager’s Special 10. Angry American 11. Love 12. Señor Moreno’s Plan
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 that Dandy Brown had scheduled for December 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) showcasing the force the band had become in the heavy blues market. 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.
With wind in their sails after their iconic 2016 Hellfest performance, and with the acquisition of full ownership of their entire catalogue, Hermano committed to sonically updating their albums through remixing, remastering, and reissuing their three studio albums and live material with San Francisco-based Ripple Music. The first in the series of reissues, Only a Suggestion, was made public in the fall of 2023, drawing tremendous reviews for the band’s updated blues rock masterpiece and giving their devoted fans a delicious first taste of what is to come over the next few years.
Seizing the energy of finally having an open window of opportunity, Hermano issued their first new material in over fifteen years with the release of When the Moon Was High in 2024. Featuring previously unreleased material from their Only a Suggestion sessions, live tracks, and the new single “Breathe”, the band stepped back into the fray with overwhelmingly positive reviews, culminating with their stellar headline performance at the 2025 edition of Hellfest.
HERMANO line-up: John Garcia – Vocals Dandy Brown – bass Mike Callahan – Guitar David Angstrom – Guitar Chris Leathers – drums
