Going back about 8 years, I remember attending the Bulldog Bash in Long Marston, England, just outside of Stratford (Shakespeare country). The Bulldog Bash is an annual rock and motorbike festival hosted by the Hell’s Angels, and it’s always great fun. On the bill on this particular year was Broadzilla.
I knew nothing about the band at the time, except that they had gotten a decent review in some magazine somewhere (might have been Kerrang!, who I was writing for), and they were from Detroit. Even when living in Blighty, I was obsessed with the D, so of course I went to the front wearing my Lions cap.
The girls were amazing, and I will never forget the slightly nervous look on front-gal Rachel May’s face when I yelled “DETROIT” at her numerous times, my mind slightly frazzled by the sun and possibly some warm ale.
Fast-forward five years or so and I’m newly relocated to Detroit. My good friend Eric Hoegemeyer (of Charm Farm, Rustbelt Studios, etc) introduces me to May. She’s less nervous now, but then I’m not yelling at her like a fool. She probably doesn’t remember.
All of which serves as an over-long introduction to what got me listening to Broadzilla, and why I still occasionally play the album to this day. It’s ten years old now, but it still sounds great.
I’ve never been crazy about the band’s name, but I get the gag. These gals are tough as fuck, and they can play the shit out of most dudes. It’s lazy to focus on gender but, in this case, to be fair, they started it. What separates ‘Zilla from a band like Girlschool though is the fact that Broadzilla’s tunes are so much better.
From the opening “Ecstasy” with its anthemic “Bombs Away” chorus (and cheeky Slayer tribute at the end) to the magnificent “Burn Baby Burn” and the techno remix of “Liquor Snatch”, Lady Luck is a fabulous example of metal-infused hard rock, complete with big tunes, huge riffs and, yes, chicks. What more could you want?
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