2018 Album Retrospective #10: Death Grips - Year Of The Snitch
To characterize Death Grips as just a band is to be woefully understating their unique role in modern culture, both within music and in a more general sense. Of course they have, since releasing their mixtape Exmilitary back in 2011, been easily one of the most innovative and genre-bending acts of the decade, with a remarkably consistent discography to boot. But though their music itself begs to be discussed at length, it is also abrasive enough to turn many potential listeners off their sound. The group's popularity, then, must also be partly attributed to their perpetually frowning vocalist MC Ride, their incredibly depraved lyrics, and all the Internet-based jokes and memes that have sprung from those oddities and the generally uninviting nature of their music.
The Sacramento-based trio is in on the joke, to be sure. And Year Of The Snitch might be their most vividly self-aware work yet (The first track here is titled Death Grips Is Online, for crying out loud). But what keeps the fans, ironic or not, coming back for more is how effortlessly the band seems to switch up their style time and time again, and this album is no exception. To delve so boldly into experimental rock as an addition to their repertoire, and to do it so well, is a large part of this album's appeal.
On some tracks, the stylistic change is incredibly blunt. Black Paint is driven primarily by a powerful guitar line which eventually leads to a storm of tension-building riffs during the song's chorus, all battling against Ride's unsettling repetition of the song's title.
Similar refrains of guitar shredding occur in the track Hahaha, this time contrasted against more standard verses full of industrial percussion and fast-paced lyrics. In addition, the cut is also notable for working in samples of multiple Death Grips songs from prior releases. All of this culminates in a less than seamless blend of old and new, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.
The one-two punch of the aforementioned Death Grips Is Online into Flies hits the listener with two of the most inaccessible tracks right off the bat, but the expert mix of industrial production and rock instrumentation also sets an effective mission statement for the album. Both tracks also exemplify MC Ride's trademark mix of obfuscating and morbid lyrics; Flies in particular invoking images of death, and of insects feasting on one's corpse.
As the record creeps onward, it only gets weirder and weirder (in the best way, of course). The shorter cut Shitshow certainly lives up to its title, largely due to Ride's erractic rapping that comes in fits and starts throughout. Zach Hill's expertly talented drumming is also a standout here, albeit in the form of frantic and somewhat grating hi-hat and snare hits.
Even the less outlandish tracks, such as Streaky and Dilemma, have a lot to offer and are immensely entertaining in addition to refining established Death Grips sounds. The rock influences on the latter song mostly appear in the form of guitar lines giving the chorus some weight, while the former skews more towards glitch hop and dabbles in familiar sounds the band has proven to employ well.
Where Year Of The Snitch does drag somewhat is in the tracks that are either less developed or which err just on the side of irritating instead of innovative. Shorter cuts such as The Horn Section, Little Richard, and Outro are mostly aimless distractions from the rest of the record.
Conversely, The Fear in particular plods on slightly too long and is reminiscent enough of what has already been heard to sounds relatively feeble in comparison. Between that track and the closer Disappointed, with its pointless jabs at the band's fans and its annoying refrain, the record ends on a somewhat subdued note. Petty issues, but present nonetheless.
Death Grips continues with this album to make music for Death Grips fans, and Year Of The Snitch isn't likely to create converts out of those who find their style annoying to listen to. But the ingenious mix of experimental rock and industrial hip-hop found here makes for more than a worthy addition to the band's library. For the time being at least, Death Grips continue to prove just how strange yet stunning hip-hop (and music in general) can be pushed.