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You could be forgiven for thinking they just don't make 'em like the Heavy's "That Kind of Man". Announcing itself with an irresistibly bold blast of horns, skanked-out wah-wahs, screaming feedback, and a foundation-shaking rhythm, the track just doesn't let up. When vocalist Kelvin Swaybe's falsetto kicks in with "Heartless, heartless / I've got something on my mind,” it's as if you're hearing Curtis Mayfield fronting the Family Stone. The creeping, chantlike chorus only emphasizes that this isn't a song so much as a slab of soul and sweat, as dense and intense as anything from the heydays of Mayfield, Stone, P-Funk, or the Godfather himself.

At a concise and LP-like 10 tracks, most of Great Vengeance and Furious Fire is highlights. In one crucial sense, the Heavy are throwbacks. They've delivered a bold, uncompromising, barnstorming debut without regard for current trends, fashions, or indie cred. You can dismiss lazy comparisons to Amy Winehouse and "dirty soul". The coolest thing about Great Vengeance and Furious Fire is it's too busy kicking your ass to think about just how cool it is. – Pop Matters