[3] During the writing process, Cult of Luna was heavily influenced by Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis, which became a major source of inspiration for Vertikal's conceptual theme, sound and imagery.

Cult of Luna drummer and percussionist Thomas Hedlund commented on the band's interest in the film, stating: "We wanted to find a contrast to the previous albums.

The video was directed by Markus Lundqvist and filmed in a hospital in Sweden that closed in the 1960s, "where the mentally ill were routinely castrated and lobotomized.

[3] Writing for Allmusic, Gregory Heaney gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars and said that, "While Cult of Luna have always been an impressive band, the solid construction and merciless execution of Vertikal makes for an incredible listening experience.

[13] Dean Brown of PopMatters gave the album a 9/10 and said that, "The fact that after six full-length LPs Cult of Luna can still deliver an opus as challenging, engrossing and intricately layered as Vertikal is a testament to the abilities of this Swedish collective; a band who have now earned their place as one of the most essential in progressive metal.

Brown said that, "Cult of Luna have been laborious in their attempt to ensure that the music of Vertikal is reminiscent of the austere atmosphere of the expressionist film that forms its muse, and the Swedish septet have more than succeeded in doing so.

"[1] Jordan Mainzer of Slant Magazine gave the album a three-and-a-half out of five stars and said, "on a conceptual level, the dubstep beat transposes Metropolis's theme, man versus machine, in a contemporary setting.

"[20] Raziq Rauf of the BBC gave the album a positive review and said, "With a concept loosely based upon Fritz Lang's dystopian science fiction film, Metropolis, it sounds as stark and uncomfortable as you might expect.

Heaney wrote, "Confident in their craft, the bandmembers are careful never to rush things, allowing the songs on Vertikal to play out the way they're supposed to, as is the case with the 18-and-a-half-minute epic 'Vicarious Redemption,' which seems to grow exponentially as it slowly plods toward its conclusion.

"[13] Brown called the song an "intimidating centerpiece," but also that it, "may be the pinnacle of Cult of Luna's artistic output; a piece which covers plenty of ground through well-paced ascending and descending passages which directly maintain a strict sense of cohesion that renders running times redundant.

"[1] However, Currin stated that, "The distended build that opens the 19-minute 'Vicarious Redemption' demands an edit that it doesn't get; as is, some of the heaviest and best moments on the record, when the septet works in perfectly combustible unity, get diluted by the deep slog that surrounds them.

"[18] Limited-edition bonus track[2] Vertikal II is an EP by Swedish post-metal band Cult of Luna that was released on September 17, 2013 through Density Records/Indie Recordings.

The CD and digital versions of the EP also feature a remix of "Vicarious Redemption" (originally on Vertikal) by Justin Broadrick of Jesu and Godflesh fame.

[12] Cult of Luna guitarist Johannes Persson said, "With Vertikal II, we complete and end a chapter that, for the last few years, have been a big part of our lives.

The band caved into the label's demands and asked them to get Broadrick to remix "Vicarious Redemption" out of spite because, at almost 19-minutes long, it was the most difficult song to work with.