Customer Reviews

Zulu

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Play this CD at high volume at Mr. Jeffs as he hides in the corner of his jail cell and he will see god for real (i.e. God, not the Lucifer character he's been taking orders from all his life). Furthermore, he will divorce his wives, begin exclusively wearing red and finally agree to cease and desist all human sacrifice activities. Lets hear it for Sam McPheeters for laying out the guidelines for eternal salvation so boldly/vividly with these high energy rock songs. Wild stuff, paylayale. Wild!

Recorded in Illinois by Steve Albini in May 2004, L.A.'s own Wrangler Brutes have triumphed with their effort Zulu (KRS Records). Featuring Sam McPheeters of Born Against and Men's Recovery Project, as well as Cundo Si Mirad and Andy Coronado of the awesome one-off Nazti Skinz [...] and Brooks Headley of Born Against, the listener is given 18 spastic tracks to sort out, each with its own amazing riffs and characteristics. In his own words, Brooks drums like an [...] full of gusto, and Sam breaks into character voices seemingly at random.

When the listener hears, "So you finally got your pants back but the wallet had been took," in the opener "White Out," it's easy to see that Joe Public's going to be in for a treat over the next 17 minutes.

In songs like "Forty-Five Dollars" and "Mgmt. Sheen," Sam McPheeters makes sense out of the songs' subjects with a touch of absurdity. An excerpt from "Forty-Five Dollars": "Do I hear $100 a barrel?!...At what point do countries start getting their feelings hurt over this?" referring to gasoline. And there's something spectacular about hearing a grown man shout, "Management sheen! You got Rogaine! Mayonnaise! Sheeeen!" He ends "Snooded," a song about Jewish headwear, by hollering "SHTOP!"

As far as the music goes, the spindly riffs, Olympic drumming, and almost flatulent bass sound are more than enough to satisfy a fan of good rock music. I was fortunate enough to see the band in October 2004 and I came across most impressed with Andy's guitar playing; no two songs sound the same. But I had to laugh when Sam dedicated a song about overpopulation to everyone in attendance.

Favorite tracks - "Adjust It," "Things Get Fruity," "Forty-Five Dollars," "Maternity Ward," "Chaos Collides," "Wrangler Brutes," "Pemex," "**** Search," and "Homosexual President." Sam's kept his political bent, but puts some theatrical sugar on top ("People, take your beliefs and mix them up behind your back; it's a log cabin fake out J. Edgar attack!").

I would recommend this to anyone - even my dad got a laugh out of "Unmentionables."

I know I shouldn't have, but I just wanted to hear another Born Against record when I bought this. If you go into this record knowing that you are listening to a seperate band than Born Against you probably can avoid the dissapointment. Wranger Brutes are a great band. Really. It's just...difficult to hear Sam McPheeters voice over a punk band again and not long for that good old evil that Born Against had and the Wrangler Brutes will never have. OK. That said. It's a great record. Lyrically and musically on point. Theres a lot of songs to work through and it's punk as f*ck. Worth the buy.