Although the names of powerhouse rockers Robert Plant, Sammy Hagar and Bono are dropped in the liner notes as influences for One Good Man's vocalist Bryan Nydegger, their three-song demo begins with what sounds like a modern country ballad. Over a repeating acoustic guitar line, he sings (very Tim McGrawishly): "When was the last time I said, 'I love you?' / I can't remember when it was / When was the last time that I hugged you? / I can't remember when it was...." The mayhem of distorted guitars and driving drums that crashes down after such a placid, "downhome" intro is incredibly disorienting.
Heavy metal (including undeveloped, simplistic, couplet-rhyming lyrics) reigns for the next two tracks, but again the smooth, countryish vocal delivery sticks out like a well-pressed denim shirt in the midst of a black leather mosh pit.
