Death metal nowadays covers so much ground as a tag. You have your classic veterans (Cannibal Corpse), modern media darlings (Gatecreeper), weirdos trying something totally different (Gorguts), and so many more. So where does Replicant fit into this? They’re definitely not mainstream, they’re not a veteran, and they’re not even trying to be that weird in comparison with other bands. That being said, Replicant has what many other bands don’t: fat-bottomed riffs. This insanely catchy style of riff-writing drew me in with Malignant Reality, and finally, three years later, Replicant is ready to birth Infinite Mortality unto the world.
Don’t you worry — the riffs are still here, and honestly better than ever. “Acid Mirror” opens Infinite Mortality and wastes no time in showing the listener how Replicant’s formula pairs booty-shaking grooves with some of the most unhinged vocals in death metal. I wrote a few months back on Putrascension that Michael Gonçalves is a beast on vocals, so too is true with Replicant. The energy and sounds he brings fuel sense of instability, as if Infinite Mortality is going to implode on its own weight at any given moment. To back this no-holds-barred performance, guitarist Pete Lloyd’s infectious riff-writing combines gym-friendly grooves — the kind you could set a new personal best to — with nasty, sudden transitions that give the impression of a lurching beast on the hunt for its next meal. It’s this style that makes each song, minus “SCN9A” (an ambient interlude that transitions into “Pain Enduring”) catchy in the best way possible.
Th sound quality on Infinite Mortality is fantastic too, with each instrument having both space and clarity in the mix. For example, the omnipresent bass performance adds an additional layer of deliciousness to the songwriting approach. There’s so much to love about this record, and yet, some form of connection still seems to evade me. “Planet of Skin”, for example, feels a tad too long, and “SCN9A” could have been trimmed down to fit in the space of “Pain Enduring”, but neither case interrupts completely my enjoyment. Infinite Mortality is a grower, much like albums by Acathexis and Spectral Voice, and I will certainly be returning to this over the course of the year. As one of the highlights of the underground for April, and possibly the most interesting death metal so far this year, Infinite Mortality adds to the wealth of good music that 2024 has offered thus far.
