In defense of the genitalia depicted across their album cover, Sacramento based noise-rap crew Death Grips released the following statement: “U.S law states you must be 18 years of age to view graphic sexual material. We consider this art.”
This is not your grandmother’s music.
The band allegedly released its third LP “No Love Deep Web” to the public before showing it to their label. They streamed the album in full and providing links for free download online, tweeting last Sunday, “The label will be hearing this for the first time with you.”
At first, @DeathGripz seemed to chronicle another nail in the coffin of a dying and powerless industry. Only a couple hours after the online release, however, the site hosting the album was taken down. While the cause has yet to be confirmed, this proves that major music labels still have a bit of sway.
But let’s get on to the music.
Death Grips live up to both their name and their creed by producing their most sinister and despairing album yet. The screaming is starker, and the drones are harsher. In the fifth track, the opening line wails “It’s all suicide / world of dogs . . .”
In an interview with Exclaim! magazine, the band said the album is “emotionally raw and direct; the sound is indescribable, it’s very beat-oriented. It has some of the guitar-driven elements that we touched on with ‘Exmilitary’ but they aren’t exactly being generated by a guitar.”
The LP is definitely a stepping-stone for future releases, but it also gives credence to past releases such as “The Money Store” from April 2012 and “Exmilitary” in 2011. Both previous albums were extraordinary, and “No Love Deep Web” lives up to their reputation. Only time will tell whether the LP will be remembered as a masterpiece or merely a clever marketing technique.
Where “The Money Store” was more chorus-and-melody-based, “No Love Deep Web” picks up the pace with a head-banging, beat-driven album that leaves the listener afraid of the dark. It is chock-full of glitchy soundbytes and soaring loops. It is epilepsy in mp3 form.
Furthermore, Death Grips fill a void found nowhere else in the music world currently. The severity of their sound is unmatched, and their anger more raw. Frontman Stefan “MC Ride” Burnett looks like a skinnier and more volatile Rick Ross, complete with a full beard while shouting into a microphone that looks like it has seen better days.
Reactions to the album among the indie-rap community were overwhelmingly positive, partially because of the unexpected release. Few official reviews are yet available.
This album will create tremors in your psyche and cracks in your understanding of love. It is a monstrous wall of sound and a liability for the listener. Listen to this album at your own risk, but do listen to this album.
4/5 stars