Beast is the latest 7” vinyl release from Oakland’s hardcore punk band Replica. It's the first I’ve heard of them since their 2012 demo cassette, which I was big fan of. Likewise I’ve been spinning this one pretty regularly since it arrived this past summer via Prank Records. Replica were just here in Minneapolis earlier this fall (10/4) for Extreme Noise Record’s 30th anniversary bash but sadly I was unable to attend. By all accounts they tore it up.
The first thing that’s noticeable is how much they’ve cleaned up their sound. Of course it could be a result of better production but their sonic blitzkrieg seems to be a little more streamlined than I remember. “Imagine Sisyphus” repeats a drum part that’s reminiscent of The Descendents’ “I’m The One.” This took me totally by surprise because it seems a little out of place but I like it nonetheless. It’s totally unfair to leave that as the only frame of reference, as Replica is more in line with DIY-minded patch vest hardcore than they are pop-punk. For instance, both the title track and the closer “Sandy Bottoms” recall the thrash punk revival of the early ‘00s.
Take menacing bass lines; mash them against blast beat-y drums (the kind that predate grindcore) and mean-sounding guitars; top it all off with Dharma Moony’s pissed-off snot-tinged vocals, and you’re left with this erratic little monster called Beast. The whole thing runs just over seven minutes, which averages out to a minute a song. What’s not to love?
