Mike Vorpal, right on the heels of the fierce “Manhunter,” his debut solo EP Memes delivers another knockout punch with “House of Capricorn”. Vorpal plunges into the weird, wired heart of our digital age, and this track? It’s a prime example of his darkly captivating craft.
This Portland-based solo artist knows how to stitch together evocative songwriting with immersive, often unsettling soundscapes. He’s a one-man powerhouse, no doubt about it. On “House of Capricorn,” he masterfully wields his tools: expect guitars that don’t just play, they howl and churn with purpose. If you know Vorpal’s M.O. from “Manhunter”—that blend of darkwave atmosphere, post-rock expansiveness, and grunge-fed aggression—you’ve got a damn good idea what’s coming.
Vorpal himself peels back a layer on the EP’s concept: “Memes is kind of a reflection of the way we process reality through fragmented, fleeting moments…” And “House of Capricorn” totally lives in that zone. This is music that captures both the total absurdity and those unexpected emotional sucker-punches of living with one foot online and one foot in the real world. He aimed to make something “both immediate and timeless,” and this track sticks the landing. The immediacy hits you with that force and lyrical directness. The timelessness comes from the haunting quality and the universal, albeit digitally warped, human experience it taps into. It stays with you, echoing long after the final chord fades.
“House of Capricorn” is confident, in-your-face modern rock that goes into the shadows and messy emotions. Vorpal’s working solo here, and man, does he deliver. It’s this darkwave-meets-heavy-guitar trip through our collective messed-up headspace. You into rock that’s got smarts, guts, and that eerie atmospheric thing going on? Then crank this monster up.
“House of Capricorn” shows Mike Vorpal at his absolute best – you need to hear this.
Mike Vorpal Socials: Instagarm