Fun fact: This is the third intro I’ve written for my review of this album, all on different devices. I wasn’t satisfied, which is probably the story of my life and my exes’. I’m just going to mostly skip that part and go into the first track on Replicant’s new one, called “Acid Mirror.” Sharing something in common with your mother, it’s heavy in all the right places. It’s technical without being flashy, and just so groovy. I would call it insistently groovy.
If there’s a negative, perhaps it’s that the songs can blend. If it weren’t for the interlude directly after, “Reciprocal Abandonment” may get a little lost. I do want to clarify, that while there is a common thread, it seems as if it’s because of the goal to pummel you. It’s not as if any track on the album could in any way be labeled “middling.” I love the elephants marching stomp happening slightly before 2 minutes in, with the vocals following the downbeat. In some parts, the vocals even venture into DSBM territory. There is a reprieve from the chaos, too, which happens with about 1 ½ minutes remaining. It lasts briefly if only to properly rub your face in the dirt again.
If one sits down and listens to the album, track by track, dissecting it, you won’t have the experience I believe is needed. You must take “Dwelling on the Threshold” as it’s meant to be within the context of the album. Its whispered vocals in multiple sections bring a sense of calm and perhaps quiet, while the song itself does not.
The final track, “Planet of Skin,” is the longest at over 9 minutes. Stomp your foot and fart if you’re surprised. I don’t recommend this approach in ALL situations. The first 2 minutes are instrumental (in two ways), but when that chug comes, you know it’s about to get heavy. There’s even a slightly bouncy section mixed in. The vocals seemingly continue to get deeper around the 5-minute mark. It’s as if you’re following the band into the abyss. When listening for the first time, I was truly wondering how it would end.
When all is said and done, I presume Infinite Mortality, despite being sometimes difficult to digest (much like that entire pizza I ate last night), will end up on many year-end lists. At this point, I believe it has a place in mine. It’s complicated without being overlong or pretentious but has hummable riffs for days. Transcending Obscurity is off to a hot start this year. It’s into April, so can we still consider this a start? Anyway, the CD and artwork work shirt will be in my hands somewhat soon, and I can’t wait to represent them.
