It’s been said by some critics that the traditional bombast and indulgent imagery many of us associate with rock and metal more than any other genres is making a comeback in 2024, and looking at the big releases of the year so far, I’m inclined to agree. One act that is putting an interesting twist on this notion is Vicious Kitty, whose new eponymous album takes the simple side of heavy rock and energizes it with a very modern, lean accent only describable as an alternative to mainstream concepts. It’s a record that both exists within and outside of a trend, which makes it one of the more interesting releases I’ve heard lately.
Tonality is always of paramount importance to this band, as anyone who heard their previous work is more than aware of by now, but in songs like “Mr. Darkness,” “Bangkok City,” “Alone” and “Innocent Girl,” it’s what develops the core emotions in the words more than the rhythm or actual harmonies do. There’s something very humanizing about the way the words are strung together in these songs, as though they’re coming stream-of-consciousness rather than from a rehearsed set of verses, but not in the sense that anything sounds thrown together on the fly.
Vicious Kitty is never overreaching sonically or poetically in Vicious Kitty, even when including an awesome single-worthy effort in “Spank Me.” This brief radio wonder connects us from one act to the next and maximizes the cinematic overtones in the music without blowing up the progressive elements to such an extent that the material starts to feel campy. A fair balance of brains and brawn is not something I come across a lot in this job, but when I do in situations like this one, I usually don’t forget about it for anything.
Sonic clarity is achieved not through the pricey frills a major label budget can provide but via real, meticulous play in Vicious Kitty, which is just another reason why I was left in awe of tracks like “Looking Glass” and “Freedom.” It would have saved some time to give both of these tracks some digitalized backing rather than fleshing out every painstaking tonal lash in the mix, but that’s just now who these musicians are. They’re players who care a lot about detail, and it’s going to result in a lot more affection from the press and the people alike.
If Vicious Kitty is representative of the creative and professional standard this band wants to be known for in this business, calls for a follow-up LP will likely prove too great for the band to consider waiting as long as some have between records. They’ve evolved so much since their early rumblings rocked the American underground, and if they keep going at the rate they’re working at in this album, my gut tells me their next effort could be the ultimate crown jewel in what’s quickly becoming a top-shelf discography of original rock music. All in all, this is a record that tells us a lot about what this band thinks about their genre as a whole.
Garth Thomas