Following an elaborate Alternate Reality Game (ARG) that saw the denizens of 4chan’s /mu/ board ultimately trolled by the band (>tfw no gf), Death Grips suddenly dropped their second album NO LOVE DEEP WEB (NLDW) last Monday. The album, which is free to download, came as a surprise to anyone who had been following band, including their label, Epic. The band’s website was briefly shut down sortly afterwards, supposedly by Epic – something the label itself denies. Is it a grand marketing strategy, or a case of the band sticking it to The Man? Either way, we’ve got the album for free, and it may well be the group’s best work yet.
Much like how The Money Store differs from the band’s 2011 mix tape Exmilitary, NO LOVE DEEP WEB brings something new to the sound of Death Grips while still keeping true the angry-hobo-rapping style that has come to define them. The sample heavy Exmilitary was very raw and fuzzy, while The Money Store came off as something more polished and cleaner, featuring more layered synths and catchy beats. NLDW sticks to that electronic sound, but it lacks the sort of catchiness (for the most part) the made The Money Store so energetic. Instead, Andy “Flatlander” Morin and drummer Zach Hill have opted for something that is a bit heavier, a bit sparser sonically. While you could always describe Death Grips as being a bit dark in their tone, NLDW really stands out. there a stronger focus on synths, resulting in something that sounds a bit more artifical From the heavy beats Come up and get me to the slower, more echoey synths of Artificial Death in The West, there is this lonely, almost cyber-punkish image evoked. It is a cold near-future, full of dangerous characters
The lyrics themselves reflect this dark tone as well. MC Ride has always assumed this persona of a character full of anger and self-loathing, disaffected with the world around him that he tries to fight. Now, that person is reaching the end of their tether. Thoughts of suicide and paranoia seem to occupy his mind, such as in the excellent World of Dogs. There’s even the moment in the opening track Come up and get me where Ride just breaks down, screaming “and suicide ain’t my stallion/so I'm surrounded”. The world is out to get him, and he’s got no escape. There’s still that fantastic energy that been heard in previous Death Grips releases, but there’s a certain tiredness to it now – Ride’s flow is a bit slower and at time feels a bit out of sync, which might be a bit off putting for some after The Money Store.
After releasing as solid of an album as The Money Store, it was always going to make a follow up, especially in the same year. For some, NO LOVE DEEP WEB may be the groups inferior 2012 release - those seductive hooks from tracks like The Fever (Aye Aye) are not there, and overall the album is not as catchy with less tracks having an obvious stand out quality. Yet there is something about it that makes the album feel so much more complete as a whole, which makes it stand strong on its own. Overall, it is aggressive and intense, as you would expect from these guys, but it exudes this cold, dark tone that brilliantly captures this image of a decaying modern world the “mascara smeared end of an era”. It might not be for everyone, but NO LOVE DEEP WEB shows that Death Grips are willing to push themselves with each release. If you are willing to give it a chance you may it find to be one of the most exciting releases of 2012.
Review by Chillz
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