A New Jersey-based Technical/Avantgarde Death Metal outfit takes things further still armed with their dissonant and impactful third full-length offering.
After having smashed prevailing standards for the style with their unique approach on their highly lauded 2021 album Malignant Reality, New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Technical/Avantgarde Death Metal outfit Replicant takes things further still with their new full length, entitled Infinite Mortality, finding ways to make their music even more convoluted and impactful while retaining their trademark dissonant and catchy sound. Mixed and mastered by AJ Viana at AJ Viana Productions, and displaying a sensational artwork by Alli Tuttle, the new album by Mike Gonçalves on vocals, bass and guitars, Pete Lloyd on guitars, synths and high-frequency transmissions, and Itay Keren on guitars, vocals and void channels, supported by session drummer James Applegate, is a must-listen for fans of Norse, Resin Tomb, Ulcerate and Terra Builder, among others, setting new standards for others yet again, giving more than what could be expected from Replicant having already established their identity.
Dirty, visceral riffs kick off the six-minute dissonant feast titled Acid Mirror, with James sounding like a stone crusher on drums, therefore offering Mike all he needs to roar like a mad entity in a very technical yet experimental and obscure aria. Their experimentations and eerie noises continue to pierce our minds in Shrine to the Incomprehensible, where the guitars by Mike, Pete and Itay once again bring forward a mechanized, wicked vibe to the music, not to mention the metallic bass by Mike, resulting in a lecture in Dissonant Death Metal; and the band shows no mercy four our damned souls in Orgasm of Bereavement, offering an overdose of heaviness, insanity and complexity where James once again blasts his drums in great fashion supported by the thunderous bass by Mike, albeit a little less detailed than the other songs. After that, Reciprocal Abandonment offers us all an amazing fusion of Technical Death Metal with more modern, avantgarde and groovy sounds, with the band again exploding our senses with their electrifying, demented riffs and Mike’s trademark brutal vocals.
Then ethereal, otherworldly sounds permeate the air in the interlude SCN9A before the band comes crushing our souls one more time with the infuriated tune Pain Enduring, where all band members are on absolute fire, blasting an amalgamation of harsh and intricate sounds tailored for lovers of the genre. Moreover, their guitars match perfectly with the fury delivered by James on drums, resulting in one of the strongest songs of the album; whereas Nekrotunnel presents nuances of the old school Death Metal crafted by Cannibal Corpse, which adds endless savagery and gore to the band’s trademark demented music while also showcasing rumbling, pulverizing sounds flowing from their guitars and bass. Then we face Dwelling on the Threshold, the shortest of all songs (excluding of course the interlude), perfect for banging our heads nonstop like savages while Mike keeps roaring and vociferating rabidly and the music remains as dense and disturbing as possible. Lastly, one final onrush of vile Death Metal, high-frequency sounds, wicked passages and the always massive drums by James is offered to us all in Planet of Skin, a full-bodied, utterly enfolding creation by Replicant, putting a beyond dissonant and vibrant ending to the multi-layered Infinite Mortality.
You can show your support to those amazing musicians by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing your favorite version of Infinite Mortality from the band’s own website, from their BandCamp page, or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ regional webstores by clicking HERE, HERE or HERE, including the wooden CD box, the wooden LP box, the regular LP, the digipak CD, and the full body print cassette, as well as some amazing combos with albums form other bands like Maere and Resin Tomb, and you can also click HERE for all things Replicant. Infinite Mortality is dissonant yet melodic, obscure yet visceral, and old school yet innovative, turning it into a must-have for admirers of the most experimental and unique side of extreme music.
Best moments of the album: Shrine to the Incomprehensible, Pain Enduring and Planet of Skin.
Worst moments of the album: Orgasm of Bereavement.
Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing
1. Acid Mirror 6:37
2. Shrine to the Incomprehensible 5:58
3. Orgasm of Bereavement 3:31
4. Reciprocal Abandonment 6:03
5. SCN9A 1:00
6. Pain Enduring 4:50
7. Nekrotunnel 4:07
8. Dwelling on the Threshold 2:48
9. Planet of Skin 9:10
Band members
Mike Gonçalves – vocals, bass, guitars
Pete Lloyd – guitars, synths, high-frequency transmissions
Itay Keren – guitars, vocals, void channels
Guest musician
James Applegate – drums (session)
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 