VECTOR SEVEN – Dark Metropolis
- Posted on 03-11-2021
I was quite taken with Vector Seven’s "Electric Blood" album and so when Darkhan Music handed me a copy of "Dark Metropolis" on CD, I was ecstatic and pretty damn keen to immerse myself in the German act’s synthwave/darkwave/retrowave/industrial-tinged opus, which was originally released digitally back in 2019 but is also now available on physical media.
The eight-track offering consists of dark, pulsating soundscapes with a futuristic and dystopian edge to them that evoke a harrowing vision of the bleak years that undoubtedly lie ahead of us. While referencing the aura and mood of the "Blade Runner" franchise might be a bit of a cliché, it nevertheless rings true when it comes the vibe and atmosphere of Vector Seven’s punishing compositions. There is an underlying sense of something unsettling and uncomfortable present and yet there are also shades of melancholy and glimmers of hope within the song material, so the whole thing is rather dynamic in more ways than one. The piece entitled "Arasaka HQ" has an air of something esoteric about it, which sets it apart from the remaining tunes to a certain extent, but overall, this is a cohesive effort where things flow incredibly well and simply gel.
As with "Electric Blood", the disc boasts a pristine sound and a production that is as clear as crystal, so my advice to you is that you get your filthy paws on this excellent slab of electronic music as soon as humanly possible. I could see fans of such diverse artists as John Carpenter, Trent Reznor, sci-fi noir-esque soundtracks, and 80s horror movies enjoying this record an awful lot. Hats off to Darkhan Music for making it available on CD.