When I do these reviews, I tend to jot a few words down after giving the song a listen. After 33 seconds of Florence Black’s latest offering, ‘Zulu’,I realised that I had written the word ‘massive’ 5 times. Massive works. I could push some words around a page, throw a metaphor in and hope that it all comes together in some poetic form, but in this instance, all I need is the word ‘massive.’
So what’s massive about it then? Firstly, the intro. Washed out chords drone underneath a beautifully unsure sitar-esque melody. There's something haunting about that opening; it crawls up your spine and breathes on the back of your neck. ‘The calm before the storm,’ you could say, but I'd prefer to call it the stand-off before the fight. It’s the point where the eyes meet, the breathing becomes heavy, and then Tristan’s guitar becomes violently clear. The ensuing hell that breaks loose echoes The Battle of Rorke, and guess what? It sounds massive.
Two notes. That’s all it is, and yet it’s fucking massive. It’s the type of riff that holds you down whilst two of its mates kick you in the stomach for their own amusement. It’s so dangerous, it’s bordering on GBH with intent.
'Zulu', on its own, shows a massive leap forward from The Big Red EP of last year. They’ve ploughed everything they’ve learned into this new sound, and it is, as you’ve guessed, massive. It carries the energy of ‘Johnny’ and ‘Draggy Boot’ and channels it into a bigger, beefier, barbaric wall of hair, leather, and rock’n’roll.
As a track, it really does show just what a Les Paul into a Marshall stack, 4 strings into an 8x10, and a bass drum bigger than the hatred for Josie Cunningham can do. It’s a tidal wave of distortion, violent torrents of fuzzy/Fozzi (geddit?) bass carried by thundering claps of snare and bass drum. It’s a very, very fine offering from Florence Black.
However, that’s not to suggest that there’s no finesse to ‘Zulu’. The vocals are strained, but not untuneful, and the beautifully wah-ed solo screams with pain through gritted teeth; just as you expect it to choke into silence, a Perry and Fozzie double-team stamp the last living breath out of it. ‘Zulu’ is what your mother would call ‘a nasty piece of work.’
I’m very much impressed with ‘Zulu’. It’s not a new sound, just one that’s been fine-tuned and carefully redesigned to inflict maximum damage. If ‘Draggy Boot’ is a sledgehammer, then 'Zulu' is a full-on wrecking ball, with sharp, pointy bits and an operator who's just downed a bottle of Home Bargains vodka.
I hope they don’t release it as a CD. I really hope they just leave it in a cage somewhere and bring it out for special occasions. If it ever does come out as a CD, I’ll be forced to buy it, and after I’ve bought it, I will probably put it with the rest of my collection in my car. And then one day, I’ll come out of my house to find that my car has been stolen, and see the other CD’s beaten and bruised on my driveway. ‘Zulu’ will be responsible.
Please, Florence Black, don’t release ‘Zulu’. Lock it up, keep it away from the public and feed it stray cattle or something, because it’s too violent for us mere mortals.
What does it sound like?
Take a heavy pinch of old school rock'n'roll. We're talking Deep Purple, Motorhead, people who have whiskey with their cornflakes. Then spread some teenage 'fuck you' on top. Add a healthy dose of Royal Blood, and finish with a fresh kick to the head.
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'Zulu' - Florence Black, released 22/1/15.
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