14 Best Synthwave Albums You MUST Listen To
6. Volkor X - This Means War (2016)
Volkor X is not only a predominant player in the battle for synthwave dominance, but is an actual embodiment of sci-fi villain.
Everything about him and the look screams "Power Rangers recurring bad guy", that you'd see next to Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. The mask, the horned helmet, the constant disdain for the people of Earth, it's all there. The artist behind the mask prefers anonymity, which adds to the overall theme.
Fittingly with the Power Rangers analogy, Volkor X's tunes are a blast from the past. It's hard to listen and not instantly think of Blade Runner, or any of Vangelis' works, as well the halycon days of uptempo SNES scores like R-Type, Starwing or Contra.
Even the video for This Means War, the main single from the seven track album, plays out like a 16bit title from yesteryear. Seriously, just watch it and not try and play the "spot the reference" game. It's difficult.