“All these false led prayers that never gave me peace.“
Delware unit Simulakra have made more than a respected name for themselves over the past few years. Their debut full-length The Infection Spreads demonstrated their instinct for gnarly and heavy metallic hardcore, infusing the bleakness of death metal bands with the brutality of modern hardcore. The resumes of their members include past work in Gridiron, Foreign Hands, and Scarab, quickly demonstrating the group’s combined experience. That only continues on new EP Reincarnation.
As expected “Dead on the Cross” comes out swinging with little remorse, with lyric “because you’re fucking dead on the cross, now you’re just one of us, fucking dead on the cross“, set to see many clambering for a mic grab. Both this and following track “Heathen’s Prayer” show off the juicy riffs that are staple of Reincarnation, with the latter flexing some straight-up mean rudiments that will encourage mutual nose adjustments.
The pace slightly adjust itself on “Sanctify“, leaning into its more metal influences and becoming more vocal and riff focused, as the vocals yelled out “Purify, sanctify, cleanse my spirit take my life“. Its closing breakdown, which will give listeners something to throw a spin-kick to, soon bursts into “Burning Soul“, a flurry of rage that offers up a door punching breakdown. Closing out on extended cut “S.I.T.A.“, Simulakra display their best elements; crushing riffs, raging vocals and fierce breakdowns. The track also sees a grand feature from Corin Gillespie of Last Wishes, to add extra ompf to the track.
What Simulakra present on Reincarnation is a further refinement of The Infection Spreads and the shorter runtime here is a compliment to their sound. The EP has the feel of that of a smash-grab, causing absolute carnage then seeing itself out, which is all the audience can ask for from this impressive project.
7/10
Reincarnation is out this Friday via DAZE.