A few features of their brand stand consistent, however: their tunes remain sonically visceral, lyrically nihilistic, and not without a pitch black sense of humor. From a sharp focus on jarring vocal chopping and heavy guitar work on their 2015 album THE POWERS THAT B, to a pivot towards violent, pop hook-centered rhythms on 2016’s BOTTOMLESS PIT, Death Grips are chameleons where experimentation with sound is concerned. That’s why the group’s most recent release, YEAR OF THE SNITCH, feels like such an apt continuation of the group’s perennial ethos of erraticism handcuffed to reinvention. Despite the occasionally gaudy spectacle of their expressions, Death Grips oozes the ever-coveted badge of musical authenticity: their behavior is just as insane as their demented music.
The band had a messy public break up with their previous label Epic Records, spawned think pieces concerning the ethics of their no-show appearance at Lollapalooza 2013, and even announced, on a napkin, their disbandment, only to begin releasing music again a few months later. Since the trio’s inception, they have remained consistently unpredictable, often acting in seemingly self-harming fashion. Favorite Tracks: “Death Grips is Online,” “Black Paint,” “Hahaha,” “Streaky,” “Disappointed”ĭeath Grips have never played it safe.
