THE ZAC SCHULZE GANG

Straight To It is a fitting title for the Zac Schulze Gang’s debut studio album: the trio doesn’t mess around with niceties, preferring to play the kind of blues-infused rock’n’roll that grabs your throat and doesn’t let go. There’s no doubt that their guitarist frontman Zac Schulze is a world-class shredder, playing with precision, speed, and passion, but the focus of the trio isn’t his solos. The Zac Schulze Gang is an undeniable gang, a group unified by a flinty sensibility that adds an electrifying charge to their rock’n’roll. Zac Schulze rides the thunder generated by the rhythm section of his drummer brother Ben and bassist Ant Greenwell, the three combining to create a massive roar, all without losing sight of their songs. The blend of melody and muscle gives Straight To It a visceral kick. Branching away
from the blues that provided the trio their initial inspiration, the Zac Schulze Gang open the album with „The Rocker,“ whose breathless hooks almost feel like a rallying call, and sustain that energy through the blitzkrieg rush of „High Roller.“ This hard edge is
complemented by the bright power-pop of „Angeline“ and „Betterland,“ an alt-rock anthem that soars toward the skies. Even with these softer touches, the Zac Schulze Gang retains a rough-and-tumble attitude, sounding like descendants of the slash-andburn
menace of Dr. Feelgood and the fiery humanity of Rory Gallagher. „Damaged Man“ finds Zac channeling the slash-and-burn style of Feelgood’s guitarist Wilko Johnson but it was Gallagher that inspired him to form his gang. During the early days of the Coronavirus Pandemic, he discovered footage of the Irish blues legend playing „Bullfrog Blues“ on YouTube. Astounded, he brought the clip to Ben, who also was struck by the raw passion captured in the performance. By that point, the brothers were already part of the music scene centered in their hometown of Gillingham, Medway, Kent in South England, playing a variety of styles as they cycled through different bands. Cutting their teeth on the DIY punk circuit that ran through Europe and the UK, Ben, Ant, and Zac became enamored of the idea of wielding that modern energy within the context of blues. After two years of gigging and woodshedding, the trio got their big break fittingly enough at Rory Gallagher’s Tribute Festival in 2022, playing a set that helped push them into the thick of the UK blues scene.