Death Grips – Jenny Death/The Powers that B Review

Sacramento based experimental/noise hip-hop group Death Grips have come out of their indefinite hiatus to release part 2 of The Powers that B, Jenny Death. A year after its announcement Jenny Death the release was announced via a private tweet which resulted in a storm of excitement across the internet.

The trio’s 6^th release has an overwhelming sound of bashing drums and heavy electronic music with some tracks including distorted guitar. The drums are very lively showing off the skill and agility of drummer Zach Hill who puts his all into the tracks. Coming in on top is MC Ride who has a unique style of presenting lyrics by rapping, yelling, whispering and laughing as he shares dark feelings such as suicide, anxiety, drug addiction and abuse on one’s body.

The opening track I Break Mirrors With my Face in the United States gets the ball rolling with a ball of sound and aggression. Overwhelming synth backed by heavy drums start this track off giving the listener a perfect example of what to expect from the album.

Following this is Inanimate Sensation which is one of the most dance heavy tracks on the album. The track has a very lo-fi feel being very bass driven with a very loud fill between each verse. This track opens up the main theme of the album which is MC Ride feeling out of step with reality.

Turned Off shows the hardcore influence Death Grips had coming into this album. With a heavily distorted fuzzy guitar and raspy vocals shouted over pounding drums and bass. The chorus of this song stands out as a charging force with heavy bass and a strong flow of lyrics with “I GET OFF AT ALL COSTS”.

The title track is the loudest Death Grips track to date with throbbing synth giving the track an eerie feeling. It took so long for Death Grips to bounce back and this track stands up to all the hype the band has received regarding this possibly final release.

The whole album is an interesting step away from traditional hip-hop and tells an in-depth story, whether true or false, that draws that listener in. The musicianship on this album really stands out as a strong contender for album of the year. This is for anyone who enjoys alternative styles of hip-hop and artists such as Atari Teenage Riot, clipping and Flying Lotus.

Below is On GP by Death Grips, written by Death Grips