ALBUM REVIEW: NULA – Vukovi

The best thing about being an artist, especially a musician, is that it’s a creative outlet for people to express their emotions and tell their stories in an art form. It’s a cathartic release for many, especially for those who have gone through hardships in their life. In many ways, a lot of creative and interesting stories can come from the experiences of the creator, especially through the art of music. This is the direction for the third album from Scottish rockers, VUKOVI, who created the world of NULA to explore themes of trauma, lust, violence, and revenge through a science fiction lens. So, with the duo’s third outing, does the music soar into the atmosphere, or does it come crashing down to Earth like an asteroid?

Not only does this album soar high, the album provides a fantastically gritty and heavy sound and style paired with passionate lyrics and vocals. From the beginning of the album, taking the audience on the journey from the get-go, this album explores all themes, as hard as they can be to discuss, in a brilliant, mature, and thoughtful way whilst also not shying away from these dark and even disturbing topics.

With LASSO, the lyrics talk about someone who wants the vocalist, even the vocalist says no to their advances, which hit hard for anyone that’s experienced that themselves, and the music’s heaviness matches the intensity with its heavy riffs and strong bassline. HURT also has a similar dark topic, with the lines “Whisper in my ear, “No one will believe you”, Your breath still remains in my chest, And I know you know the difference, Of heaven and hell and consent” not hiding the needed discussion about sexual abuse, with the chorus being a call to fight against abusers and to tell their story. Vocalist Janine Shilstone’s vocals with these lyrics is stunning, so full of pain and passion, and the stalking bassline is haunting alongside this powerful song.

At a listening party for the album, Janine spoke how I EXIST and SAD were the most important tracks for her personally and that the point of the album was “things are pretty shit but we wanted to create something that was really empowering”. That theme definitely comes through in those tracks, as well as the final track XX, as some beacons of hope and light against the horrible reality people live in. I EXIST is a beautifully uplifting song that many people need, especially within the uplifting lyrics that are inspiring and comforting. SAD is also fantastically written, with the theme of never forgiving or forgetting someone who did you wrong. The music accompanying it all is perfect, elevating the key moments whilst still rhythmically and melodically pleasing. 

Overall, NULA is a brilliantly made record full of incredibly clever lyric-writing, amazingly skilled vocals, and heavy synth-rock music to accompany it. With the final track, XX, containing the lyrics “Future is female and we’re gonna take it”, that’s exactly what the band are doing with this album. NULA stands out by combining the sounds and style of science-fiction with the real themes, pairing fantasy with reality and showing how important these themes are to discuss, no matter how advanced the future can become. A triumph in rock music. 

Rating: 9/10

NULA is out now via LAB Records. 

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