Replaced By Robots – The Laboratory

Replaced By Robots’ “The Laboratory” is an explosion of punk chaos mixed with horror-inspired post-punk danger. The song starts with raw, distorted guitar riffs, obviously aggressive and uncomfortably interesting. The vocals are crazy and dramatic, preserving The Cramps’ creepy attitude while also showing an odd sense of humor and danger. The delivery has an “unpleasant” vibe to it, as if the singer remembers the decline of a crazy scientist into chaos. It’s punk, but with a story, an almost cinematic rise that goes into post-punk’s darker zone. Despite the unfiltered brutality, theaudio mix is clear and strong, keeping the distorted guitars and wild vocals from overlaping. The track’s short duration only contributes to its effect, there’s no filler, just a direct blast of adrenaline and fear. With its scary guitar work and claustrophobic atmosphere, “The Laboratory” feels like it might be the soundtrack to a punk horror film or a nightmare video game.