- Do Death Grips even need an introduction at this point? In less than a decade, the Sacramento trio have become notorious for both their creative publicity stunts, as well as a prolific and boundary pushing catalogue. I struggle to think of another modern artist who’s better utilized the internet’s endless potential for marketing, signaling each new album with a slew of online antics.
The rollout for Year Of The Snitch was no different, announcing collaborations with noise musician Lucas Abela, Tool bassist Justin Chancellor, and, inexplicably, the director of Shrek. Couple that with the barrage of released singles, and all signs pointed to Death Grips fully reveling in the absurd information overload of the internet age.
Musically, Year Of The Snitch follows this maximalist trend, each track furiously cycles through ideas, giving little in the way of breathing room. Death Grips have a tendency to sonically re-invent themselves with each release, and Snitch is no different. The frantic genre hopping found on last year’s Steroids EP is back in full force, with drummer Zach Hill presenting a much looser and more aggressive style, which harkens back to his math-rock roots.
These moments of frenzied jamming are accompanied by equally overbearing electronic abstraction; distorted synths and sharp blasts of noise lend a decidedly cyberpunk aesthetic. The co-existence of these elements signals that the band have fully embraced the thematic duality found on The Powers That B, moving from intangible glitchiness on Flies to the all-out industrial rock of Black Paint without missing a beat. It feels like both a summary of their past work and a step into new directions, given that they’ve practically outgrown hip-hop at this point.
This hyperactive collage of sound and style remains coherent through the talents of vocalist Stefan Burnett, who delivers some of his most dynamic performances to date. Whether alternating between mumbling and screaming each word on Disappointed or imitating a trap rapper on Streaky, MC Ride is a consistently commanding presence who maneuvers through each shifting sonic landscape with impeccable skill. This versatility is owed partly to Andy Morin’s penchant for vocal manipulation, but even disregarding artificial input there’s no doubt Stefan has completely outgrown his one-dimensional origins to master the frontman role.
Despite running just shy of forty minutes, the group pack every second full of intense creativity. Aforementioned closer Disappointed draws heavy influence from the band’s grunge side project The I.L.Ys, but here the droll guitar sections are juxtaposed with blood curdling screams and an industrial electronic backdrop. It’s yet another example of Death Grips’ ability to amalgamate and process their influences and collaborators into an incredibly distinctive final product. Even DJ Swamp’s scratching contributions are effortlessly melded into almost every track, becoming merely another thread in their grotesque sonic tapestry.
Overall, Year Of The Snitch is a dense concoction of forward thinking musical ideas that doesn’t waste a moment in pushing boundaries at every turn. There are lackluster moments, but they’re never dwelled on for long enough to detract from the album whole. The poppy song structures of Bottomless Pit and The Money Store are nowhere to be found here, and that’s a great thing. Honestly, I’m just happy Death Grips continue to explore new places with their sound, taking the rest of hip-hop with them along the way.
- Boddhi Farmer.