High Tone Son of a Bitch

High Tone Son of a Bitch (often abbreviated HTSOB) is an American heavy rock band from Oakland, California, formed in the early 2000s by guitarist Paul Kott and his brother Andrew Kott.^[1] The group blend stoner and desert rock, psychedelic hard rock and doom metal, and have been associated with the Bay Area underground heavy music scene.^[2][3]

High Tone Son of a Bitch formed in the early 2000s in the Bay Area, with the Kott brothers emerging from the earlier band Cruevo.^[4] The debut EP Better You Than Me was released in 2003 and featured guest synthesizer from Dave Edwardson of Neurosis.^[5]

A second EP, Velocipede, was recorded in 2004 but remained unreleased for many years.^[6] In 2007, Andrew Kott died following a fall, and the band went on hiatus for more than a decade.^[7]

During the hiatus, Paul Kott played in the Bay Area group Kalas with Matt Pike.^[8]

In 2018, Paul's nephew Juan Herrera—Andrew Kott's stepson, whom Andrew had taught to play guitar and who later received a Latin Grammy nomination—encouraged him to restart HTSOB.^[9] The band returned by issuing Velocipede digitally and releasing the comeback EP Death of a New Day / Eye in the Sky in 2019.^[10] The EP received positive coverage from outlets including Ghost Cult Magazine and Revolver.^[2][11]

In 2020 the band released Lifecycles: EPs of HTSOB with Tee Pee Records, which compiled remastered versions of Better You Than Me, Velocipede, Death of a New Day / Eye in the Sky, and the newly issued Wicked Threads!. The release was previewed by Invisible Oranges.^[12]

In 2022, HTSOB partnered with Ripple Music to release Live at the Hallowed Halls, a live-in-studio album recorded in Portland.^[13] The record was noted by multiple outlets: Tinnitist called it "a thrilling live in the studio... instant classic",^[14] while Sea of Tranquility described it as "a fabulous slice of psychedelic doom".^[3]

The album features guest appearances from several prominent heavy rock artists performing with the band on live in the studio renditions of several songs across the band's catalog, including "John the Baptist", "Silhouette" and a cover of the Kalas song "Monuments to Ruins".

In 2025, the band contributed a cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Ruiner" to Magnetic Eye Records' The Downward Spiral (Redux), covered in outlets such as The Razor's Edge.^[15]

HTSOB's sound incorporates stoner and desert rock, psychedelic hard rock, doom metal, and heavy rock.^[2][3]

HTSOB has collaborated with a range of musicians from other underground heavy acts.

• Matt Pike – guest guitar on Wicked Threads! and guest guitar and vocals on Live at the Hallowed Halls.^[16]
• Dave Edwardson – synthesizer on Better You Than Me and Death of a New Day / Eye in the Sky.^[5]
• Rob Wrong – guest guitar on Live at the Hallowed Halls.^[13]
• Andrea Vidal – guest vocals on Live at the Hallowed Halls.^[17]
• Sonny Reinhardt – guitar on Death of a New Day / Eye in the Sky.^[2]
• John Brookhouse – collaborator on Wicked Threads!.^[17]
• Jake Navarra – collaborator on Live at the Hallowed Halls.^[13]

• Paul Kott – guitar^[4]
• Andrew Kott – guitar^[7]
• Ron Nichols – bass^[4]
• Andee Connors – drums^[4]
• Scott Wagner – vocals^[4]

• Russ Kent – vocals^[2]
• Paul Kott – guitar^[1]
• Patrick Peterson – guitar^[1]
• Billy Anderson – bass^[1]
• Matt Butler – drums^[1]
• Leslie Allred – keyboards, synthesizers^[18]

• Johann Zamorra – drums^[19]
• Chris Corona – guitar^[19]
• Joe Fucko – bass^[19]
• Bryce Shelton – keyboards^[13]
• Pamela Ausejo – guitar, vocals^[17]
• Eric Rancourt – drums^[13]

• "Ruiner" on The Downward Spiral (Redux) (Magnetic Eye, 2025).^[15]