With Manhunter, the standout single from his debut solo EP Memes, Portland-based artist Mike Vorpal delivers a blistering, atmospheric plunge into the psyche of modern alienation. Clocking in at just over four minutes, the track unfolds like a dark psychological thriller, its tension tightening with every distorted chord and ominous lyric.
Anchored in a dense wall of sound, “Manhunter” fuses the grit of early ‘90s grunge with the theatrical depth of darkwave and post-rock. Guitars roar like a beast in a cage, unpredictable and relentless, while synth elements swirl with ghostly unease. The percussion pulses with a mechanical urgency, pulling the listener deeper into the track’s murky terrain.
Vorpal’s vocal delivery is strikingly detached yet razor-sharp, giving each cryptic line a chilling weight. It’s less about storytelling and more about summoning an emotional atmosphere that feels both raw and eerily calculated. Think Nine Inch Nails meets Sonic Youth in a David Lynch dreamscape. “Manhunter” doesn’t offer comfort. It hunts you, holds you in its grip, and forces introspection.