The Zac Schulze Gang
Straight To It
Ruf Records
Straight out of Gillingham in the southeast UK comes blues rock outfit The Zac Schulze Gang with their debut album, Straight To It, an apt title because the gang gets right to taking care of business.
A trio, The Zac Schulze Gang is made up of Zac Schulze (guitar), Ben Schulze (drums), and Ant Greenwell (bass). The Gang paid their dues playing the European punk circuit. In 2022, the gods of music opened the door of opportunity, and the trio played at the Tribute Festival for Rory Gallagher.
Things started to take off: they were performing 250 shows a year, playing clubs and festivals, and opening for Eddie 9V and Samantha Fish. In 2024, they won the Best Emerging Blues Band at the UK Blues Awards, followed by being named Young Artist of the Year at the UK Blues Awards in 2025.
High points on the 11-track album include the opener, “The Rocker,” an AC/DC-like kickass song brimming with growling guitars riding a raw beat. Schulze struts his mystifyingly excellent technique and talent on the solo section, delivering scorching licks.
Reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughn, only a little more refined, “High Roller” cooks with gas, offering a pushing rhythm and gritty guitars. A visceral harmonica infuses the tune with dirty, wailing tones.
“Runnin Dry” conjures up suggestions of Led Zeppelin, while “Angeline,” a personal favorite because of its drifting, shimmering surfaces, takes things down a notch with its tender mood, a mood that elevates to heavy guitars yet doesn’t lose sensitivity.
For some reason, “Turning To Stone” summons memories of James Gang’s “Funk #49,” with its funk feel and incandescent guitar licks. Raw and a bit loose, the melody avoids the impression of being rehearsed, giving the tune a jam sensibility.
Another favorite because of its slow, bluesy flow, the closing track, “Things Change,” offers poignant reflections on the aching emotions left over after a lover, having fallen out of love, leaves.
“Things change / You’re walking away all the same / You told me that / Things change / Can’t hear my name when you call / But I’m waiting for you.”
Parading the sprawling, grainy muscularity of prime blues rock, The Zac Schulze Gang’s debut album establishes their bona fides.
The Zac Schulze Gang is currently touring Europe, with plans to tour the US in September of 2026. Find tour dates here.
