The Zac Schulze Gang returns to burn the house down with their latest single, "The Rocker." For a band already celebrated for breathing new life into the blues-rock format, this is a fiery next step, grittier, sharper, and every bit as magnetic. Coming hot on the heels of the sellout UK headline tour and cross-continental festival appearances, the three pieces have proven impossible to ignore.
With "The Rocker," they make a confident step forward into a somewhat more polished, contemporary sound without losing the soulful grooves and churning guitar riffs that made them a critics' darling. The single is a tightrope act of muscle and melody, uniting the heft of classic rock with the immediacy of pop-rock hooks and the nervy edge of alternative rock. Loud and unapologetic, it is for longtime rock purists as much as a new crop of fans demanding authenticity.
"The Rocker" comes straight out of the gates with that opening riff and never lets up from there. The guitar play is razor sharp, alternating between retro grime and brash swagger, and the rhythm section propels a ceaseless pulse that cries out for a live crowd. There's a self-assuredness to Zac's delivery that echoes the band's own ascension, not just as a group of young power-poppers but as legitimate torchbearers for a sound that many thought was Wound tight and tall, ready for mass consumption.
It's no wonder that this band has already snapped up the attention of Classic Rock Magazine and landed A-list placements in a row on Planet Rock. Throw some heavy tour support slots for Samantha Fish in for good measure and a UK tour that's already looking at sellouts, London's legendary 100 Club is sold out 15 weeks upfront already, and the words hype cycle simply don't apply. There is a wave happening right now, and "The Rocker" is their call to arms. For anyone who still loves a gnarly riff, an incendiary solo, and a million-dollar raw rock star, "The Rocker" is an affirmation of rock's vitality, its loudness, and its leadership by a gang that is absolutely not fucking around.