Southern rock seems to be the next big thing in music again these days. Rock music is going back to its roots in a big way, huge hooks, massive riffs, gruff vocals; all these add up to what seems to be a winning formula in the music industry. Great Man Theory are coming into the world with all of the winning parts all tied up and wrapped in a neat little package. The band has launched themselves with their brand new, and debut E.P. ‘The Horse’. It may only be four tracks long, but it does just enough to let you know exactly what the band’s here to do. They clearly have an insatiable drive, which can be felt throughout the groove laden tracks. It’s all foot tapping, head banging brilliance at play here, and anyone who’s a fan of the likes of Stone Temple Pilots and Black Stone Cherry won’t be disappointed by a British band that’s really trying to get to the forefront of British rock music.
The E.P kicks off with an almighty bang with ‘What Is Mine’, and not long into it you can feel the riffs shaking your bones. The vocals themselves need to be highlighted out as well. Lead vocalist James Smithells has such fantastic range and technique. He can be slow and melodic, and next he’ll be firing lyrics at you right left and centre, not allowing you a moments rest. ‘What Is Mine’ is the perfect opening track to showcase everything that Great Man Theory are about, you have everything; the fantastic riffs, the heavy and imposing drum beats, and finally the incredible voice just to finish it off. ‘Riverblind’ helps bring everything down to a slower pace, but in no way takes away from the heavy southern rock feel that the album holds so dear. If ‘What Is Mine’ was a way of highlighting the vocal talents of James, ‘Riverblind’ is a way to show how impressive the guitar ability of both James and lead guitarist Rob Jarvis really is. This E.P may not be something you can necessarily dance to, but what it is bringing is something that is heavy enough to make your head bang and your foot tap relentlessly. The E.P’s title track, ‘The Horse’ becomes more of a melodic showcase, to break up the E.P a bit, as having the same heavy and infectious beats can become tiring after a while. The whole release is then brought full circle with the equally infectious ‘Cage Rights’.
What Great Man Theory are doing may not be ground breaking, or the best we’ve ever heard from the genre, but it certainly is a fantastic first step into the world of music. It is an incredibly solid debut, and the boys should be incredibly proud of what they’ve created. In the end they have completed what they set out to do, something to get themselves noticed. The worst thing to do is to rush out an E.P. where the sound isn’t ready, and it just feels sloppy. What Great Man Theory have in their possession is something all together succinct and a base which they can launch to bigger and better things.
