VUKOVI - 'MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN' Album Review

Tracklist:
1. This Is My Life And My Trauma
2. Gungho
3. My God Has Got A Gun
4. Fallen Beyond
5. Fuc Kit Up
6. Misty Ecstasy
7. Sno
8. Cowboy
9. Peel
10. Kitty
11. Bladed
Scottish Alt-Metal band Vukovi return in glorious form with their 4th studio album, 'My God Has Got A Gun', released on January 24th via Sharptone Records, their first album on the label, joining juggernauts of modern British alternative music such as Don Broco, Boston Manor and Holding Absence.
The album kicks off with 'This Is My Life And My Trauma', once again starting out with a short intro, but it showcases a great, classic Vukovi-style guitar riff from Hamish Reilly, teeing up 'Gungho', the first single from the album in pitch-perfect fashion. 'Gungho' has that typical, frenetic energy we've come to expect from the North Ayrshire outfit, and is a brilliant showcase of vocalist Janine Shilstone's soaring voice and Reilly's trademark riffs. The track launches you straight back into the world of the band, breakdowns and all, and truly shows their mastery of dynamic range that they've been honing for 14 years now.
The title track, 'My God Has Got A Gun', has more electronics sprinkled in through the intro riff, and shows of a lower, darker sound than we have typically heard from Vukovi, and I find it almost reminiscent of Limp Bizkit in places. The track is another showcase of Shilstone's lyrics openly talking about mental health with the repetition of "This is what depression looks like" within the choruses. I know for a fact this track will be a phenomenal addition to the band's already brilliant live shows, especially in the breakdown, which will bring absolute carnage, before leading into one final chorus that starts out in half-time, a move found all over Vukovi's discography, before going all out, balls-to-the-wall to the end of the song.
Up next is 'Fallen Beyond'. With this track, I can't help but draw comparisons to Dream State's 'Primrose Path' album, one of my favourite albums in 2019, which was an absolutely stacked year for new releases. Emotion is positively dripping from Shilstone's vocals, and they lean into the use of programming, complimenting Reilly's brilliant riffs perfectly once again. The extremely intimate middle eight that then builds with more electronics before powering through to the end of the track is absolutely scintillating. It's a slower and methodical effort from the band, however it does not sacrifice their fervent energy.
'Fuc Kit Up', a more experimental effort, follows, with the band tampering with polyrhythms between the riffs and vocals, and the time signature change in the chorus that works beautifully. With every single release I am still impressed with how massive Vukovi sounds with just one guitarist, and producer Machine has handled them beautifully. The atmospheric middle eight with it's marching snare builds the track phenomenally, to then crash back in to Reilly's methodical chorus riff. It's another slower paced effort, but like Fallen Beyond it still oozes energy
'Misty Ecstasy' - the second single from the album - takes us back to the fast paced energy. This track is a standout highlight of Reilly's talents as a guitarist; he knows exactly when to take the back seat to let Shilstone and her vocals shine, with sexually empowering lyrics that she's been no stranger with throughout the band's history.
Third single 'Sno' slows things back down again, feeling more like a ballad peppered with Reilly's riffs. The vocal harmonies layered throughout the track are beautifully understated, but work so well within the context of the track and undoubtedly prove Shilstone's talents as a vocalist. Once again, Reilly knocks it out of the park, with the second chorus containing a Tom Morell-ian whammy pedal based riff that acts as a great homage (in my eyes) to the iconic Rage Against The Machine guitarist. The bridge once again uses electronics to create a beautiful atmosphere before Reilly's guitar comes crashing back in, providing a huge emotional release to take us into the dying moments of the track with an absolutely spectacular dynamic crescendo.
Sticking to the slower side of things is 'Cowboy'. This track contains some absolutely beautiful moments of accentation, with horns to punctuate certain monents. Reilly once again shows us the brilliant range in his guitar playing, taking a much more subdued role, showing that this truly is Shilstone's song, her vocals soaring and taking the spotlight in a haunting manner. The violins in the bridge are a masterful touch that elevate this track to an upper echelon. Vukovi are no strangers to slowing things right down, as they've shown in abundance through 'My God Has Got A Gun' as well as in their previous releases, and it they make it work so well every single time.
Next up comes 'Peel', with the band really showing off the new darker side to their sound that has been prevalent through the entirety of 'My God Has Got A Gun'. The low tone of Reilly's guitars beautifully contrast with Shilstone's higher, soaring vocals for the duration of the track. The ending of the song once again kicks things up a fear, becoming fast paced and frantic. The track really showcases a side of the band we've only caught glimpses of in the past, and it works brilliantly.
The penultimate track comes in the form of 'Kitty', a mainly synth-led effort in the intro and verses, which build perfectly from their glittery sound into each chorus, with Reilly's guitar coming in phenomenally, this time not crashing in, but rather joining at the right moment to enhance the dynamics and work beautifully in tandem with the afformentioned synth lines. The bridge is absolutely haunting, with Shilstone's vocals working in perfect tandem with the synth, and following that with even more phenomenal harmonies towards the end of the track.
The final track, and longest on the record, is 'Bladed'. We are treated to an extremely dark and atmospheric intro that gives way to bursts of energy with Reilly's staccato guitars in the first verse. The song constantly builds on itself, each section adding a new element for a natural crescendo throughout the song, dropping back down in the bridge, letting the synth take control before adding vocals and drums back into the mix before reintroducing guitar in spectacular fashion, still building before the sound of a lone Shilstone proclaiming "Oh Yeah" before a short breakdown, giving you more of that trademark Vukovi frantic energy in the final chorus and another short breakdown that ends abruptly to close out the record in very sudden fashion, much like the closing track of 2020's 'Fall Better' - Run /Hide.
'My God Has Got A Gun' really shows how much Vukovi have matured and evolved, while still staying true to the core sound and the bat-shit crazy energy that fans, myself included, absolutely adore. It shows that Shilstone and Reilly aren't afraid to experiment, venturing into new territories without alienating their fanbase. I've been following Vukovi for the better part of a decade now, always looking forward to what they come up with, and this certainly does not disappoint. In my review of the afformentioned 'Fall Better' (which celebrates it's fifth anniversary the day 'My God Has Got A Gun' releases), I said that I wouldn't be surprised if Vukovi gained a lot more traction after that album's release, which rang true despite the struggles that COVID provided, and this album is certainly no different. In fact, I predict that it will send Vukovi into the stratosphere.


Review - Gordon Rae
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