Funker Vogt- Navigator

Artist: Funker Vogt
CD Title: Navigator
Label: Metropolis Records
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 12/25/05

Funker Vogt have had five albums – not counting singles, remixes and EPs – with which to perfect their sound, and at this stage of the game, it’s safe to say that no band is better at writing EBM songs about war, soldiers and space battles. Their latest album continues in the same form, with such tracks as “Fallen Hero” and “Thoughts Of A Soldier” evoking the melancholy of military life, a bit like early VNV Nation only less lyrically vague. “Starfighters” brings the science fiction elements to the forefront, and despite a lyrical theme that seems aimed at teenage “Star Wars” fans, the song’s soaring chorus is difficult to resist. Title track “Navigator” incorporates similarly memorable vocal melodies with progressive trance synths, while “Killing Ground” and the excellent “The End” evoke apocalyptic atmospheres with sampled choirs and lush arrangements of strings. The last two tracks, both sung in German, are two of the album’s most interesting. “Für Dich” is as soft as a lullaby but laced with cinematic arrangements and bits of a child’s conversation, while “Vorwärts!” is hard-hitting and aggressive, with pounding drum machines and angry bellowed vocals. Though some of the lyrics on this album can be off-putting if you’re not into war movies and science fiction, Funker Vogt’s production is top-notch, and these songs are extraordinarily well executed. If you can look past the occasional bits of space opera cheesiness, you’ll find an excellent collection of solid club tracks.

Visit the band online by navigating to www.funkervogt.de.