The Pitch: "Set in a bleak atmosphere of filth, malaise, and decaying infrastructure, Replicant is a New Jersey trio intent on producing despotic, depraved and pummeling riffs — a grinding and grooving aural consequence of the industrial primordial swamp that defines their surroundings." FFO: Dystrophy (former members), Gorguts, Dim Mak
What I Like: I had been hearing some buzz around this album, but it was ultimately an email directly from guitarist Peter Lloyd that inspired me to give it a listen. Pete is formerly of the band Dystrophy, which we raved about way back in the early days of Metal Trenches. His influence on the overall sound of this record is clear. The riffs on Negative Life still sport the same swampy, ugly, experimental feel that turned my head in 2015.
Replicant play technical death metal, but similar to groups like Gorguts, Grethor, and Gigan, this ain't your average Dying Fetus or Decapitated album. Far from the polished veneer of most modern, mainstream tech death, Replicant once again sound like they are emerging from a putrid, stagnant bog. Pete's riffs stutter, groove, and ooze their way through compositions like The Blob cornering some poor, hapless victim. Similarly, Mike's grimy basswork and dry, raspy death vocals along with Matt's organic, sporadic drumming give the sense that these songs have some sort of primordial sentience that may be less than friendly.
Critiques: Replicant have the atmosphere and musicianshp elements in the bag. Now it's time to ramp up to overall listenability. I have similar problems with Negative Life that I had with the most recent Gigan album: it seems to sacrifice solid composition for overall technicality. I'd liken it to writing a review with lots of good points, but structure and formating that are all over the place. It's the perilous tightrope walk between experimentation and convention.
The Verdict: Negative Life is a welcome album for death metal fans with an affinity for Gorguts and the like. There is certainly room for improvement in terms of consistently engaging songwriting, but thanks to its strong performances and vile aesthetic I feel more than comfortable recommending a listen.
Flight's Fav's: ADRA2B, Inescapable Grief, Shroud
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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