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Death Grips

74

Death Grips


Death Grips 

Death Grips are as difficult as they are enthralling. This noise-punk-rap cyber-transgressive band consists of drummer Zach Hill, rapper MC Ride, and keyboardist Stefan Burnett. This band, for me, all starts with Zach Hill’s drumming. Hill is an amazing drummer whose main claim to fame is as the drummer for 2000’s math-rock band Hella. But he’s only a third of the project- because what really makes Death Grips so original is MC Ride’s amazing delivery, natural skill at rapping and overall persona. I’ve never seen a punk-rap group like this before: Sorry N.W.A. Death Grips formed in Sacramento in late 2010. Our first taste of Death Grips was of their self-released (2011’s) self-titled E.P. and debut-mixtape Exmilitary.  The Money Store was their proper debut album, an album recorded at Chateau Marmont and somehow released by a major label (the same one as Mariah Carey and Meghan Trainor if you can imagine that [who had the task of selling Death Grips to a major label? Kudos to that mother-fucker for making it work… for a little bite]). Their debut did a great job of capturing the barking, unstoppable experimental rap and rock that is Death Grips. We’re talking sour melodies and blasted beats. Death Grips is really less about the music than they are the feeling they give you. Anytime you listen to one of their albums, you leave with a stronger sense of yourself. In July 2014, after releasing three excellent albums (2012’s [self-released-despite-their-label’s-wishing’s] No Love Deep Web, 2013’s Government Plates, and 2015’s The Powers That B [with vocal contributions from Björk]), the band announced it was over, and perhaps Trent Reznor summed it up best when he said (having had Death Grips signed on as the opener for his NIN tour) “I’m sorry guys, I don’t know why I thought this band could hold it together.” And that kinda’ sums up Death Grips. They are always on the verge of  collapse. It’s just too much anarchy to sustain itself. However, the band came back and gave us  2016’s Bottomless Pit and 2018’s Year Of The Snitch. There is no telling where Death Grips will head next, but at this point, you probably already know what to expect on this ride or you have likely gotten off at this point. One thing’s for sure- I hope you brought your anti-anxiety medicine. I’m doin’ flips…
It’s…
Death Grips

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