The Zac Shulze Gang – Straight To It (2025)
Just when you think you’ve heard the last of blues-rock, along comes The Zac Schulze Gang. Formed in 2020 in Gillingham, England, this scrappy little power trio has toured the UK, Europe, and America behind names like Samantha Fish, Eddie 9V, and others. They played an outstanding set at Fairport Convention’s Cropredy Festival in 2024 that showcases the band’s energy, warmth, humour, and supreme chops. This year, they headlined the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival in Ballyshannon, and if you’re familiar with the late Irish guitar legend, that probably tells you a lot about the band’s aesthetic (short of actually listening to them).
Now, after a 2023 EP and a 2024 live album, The Zac Schulze Gang has released their debut album, Straight to It, an appropriately titled record if ever there was one. True to form, Zac Schulze on guitar, Anthony (or Ant) Greenwell on bass, and Ben Schulze on drums don’t dilly-dally, but plant their flag and claim their territory right from the opening song. Trio albums often split the difference between capturing a live rock and roll sound and expanding the tonal palette to include instruments the band might have if it weren’t actually a trio. When not managed well, rock trios can sound like a core group with a bunch of add-ons in the background. Or worse, they don’t sound like a trio at all.
While I will always prefer albums that stick as close to the core band sound as possible, producer Ian Sadler manages a blend of aesthetics admirably. Straight to It flows much like the band’s live set. Clocking in at around 38 minutes, it opens with a three-song punch-jab-punch that nearly knocks you down when the recklessly fast ‘High Roller’ kicks into gear. Then the album settles into a waxing and waning pace that keeps you invested without wearing you out. The slower parts of the set are where the band showcases its diversity. ‘Betterland’ sounds very much like the band’s tribute to modern rock via the Foo Fighters, while ‘Angeline’ evokes something of a southern rock feel, and ‘Things Change’ closes down the record with some bittersweet blue-eyed soul.
There are a couple of judiciously placed guest spots that include Nigel Feist on harmonica and Lee Wilson on organ. Feist integrates seamlessly as if he’s part of the band, amplifying their bluesy side early in the album with gutsy, rhythmic playing on ‘I Won’t Do This Anymore’ and ‘High Roller’. Wilson’s organ provides a nice tonal colour on the funky ‘Turning to Stone’ and the album’s closer ‘Things Change’. These instruments complement frontman Zac Schulze’s guitar sound, both as a rhythmic and lead instrument. His gritty tone, fluid runs, and stinging climactic solos pour fuel on the fire of the band’s sound, both live and in the studio.
Some may argue that it’s Zac’s guitar that provides the band’s main draw, but this isn’t the case. Good as his guitar work is, the brilliant thing about The Zac Schulze Gang is the Gang. This band is incredibly tight. Ben Schulze plays a trimmed-down kit to maximum effect, holding an unassailable groove. Zac and Greenwell execute parallel runs throughout the album like they’re glued together, and the group’s execution of riffs creates accents and sudden stops that give songs interest they wouldn’t otherwise have. One of their biggest assets is how they handle the vocals. Zac and Greenwell share lead vocal duties, and all of them contribute to harmonies, emphasising the band’s melodic side. The Zac Schulze Gang is a band to keep tabs on and catch live when you can. Like the late guitarist they pay tribute to, they are on fire from the very first note.
Find out more about The Zac Schulze Gang on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Lucid Publicity.
