Ever wonder what it would have sounded like had Ian Gillan retired from Deep Purple and his replacement was...James Hetfield? My guess is, probably not, but that's exactly what's on display here throughout Monster Man, the brand new Klonosphere Records/Season of Mist release from French act Flayed. Comprised of Ju (Guitar), Rico(Guitar), Charly (Bass), JP (Drums), Rafinet (Hammond organ, Keyboards), and Renato (vocals), the band are quite adept at classic '70s styled hard rock, and mix that with a more aggressive, contemporary metal vocal attack. Like I mentioned earlier, Renato does indeed sound like Metallica's Hetfield, and the crunchy guitar riffs & swirling Hammond on tunes like "Release the Fever", "Up Above", "Stanced", and the rocking title track instantly bring to mind the legendary Deep Purple. Catchy hooks and blistering solos are ever present, and there's even some memorable Southern Rock flavors on the engaging "No Surrender" that bring to mind Lynyrd Skynyrd or Blackberry Smoke. The band delivers some sultry blues on "Novel", and both "Unfairly" & "Heat of the Sun" combine those tasty guitar/Hammond riffs for a powerful punch that will thrill any longtime Purple fanatic. That formula is again present on the muscular closer "Heat of the Sun", but here Renato's snarl is even more lethal, as he roars alongside some hefty Hammond riffs and sizzling lead guitar solos.
Monster Man is quite impressive, as vintage and modern styles collide for a memorable set of heavy rock tunes. This is a band we should all be keeping a close eye on.
Track Listing
1) Release The Fever
2) Monster Man
3) No Surrender
4) Stanced
5) Up Above
6) Novel
7) Unfairly
8) Heat Of The Sun
9) Too Young For An Old Man
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