Well, it's finally here. Last year, Death Grips released the first half of what is now known as their swan song album, The Powers That B. I didn't review that first half, because I wanted to wait until the album was complete, to avoid over, or under- estimating it. So, while it took them nearly a full year, we finally have the complete album, at least in digital form.
Now I won't go into the nature of this release much farther, because chances are, you've heard about it, or you know how to google things. However, there is one question that I'm here to at least give my personal answer to, is this a good album?
Luckily, at least in my eyes, this is the culmination of everything Death Grips has done in the past four years, from the line blurring Ex Military, to the spacey Government Plates. The Powers That B takes elements from all of the groups past releases, smashes them together, and comes through with a double album's worth he tracks, that are simply pure listening bliss if you've been a fan of these guys up to this point, or if you love when a group messes with the rules and boundaries of a genre.
Starting with the first half, we get what actually feels like one continuous track, with every track flowing seamlessly into the next. I love the chaotic start with the track "Up My Sleeves" with the way the instrumental seems to drag and scrape along, all while MC Ride talks about suicide and "quenching his herst". Other highlights include the braggadocios "Black Quarterback" and the trippy "Say Hey Kid". This side is so cohesive and has a lot of little instrumental back alleys to explore. This side reminds me of projects like No Love Deep Web and Government Plates, for how odd and out there the instrumentals are, and Ride just lays one cryptic verse after another, all while changing his flow and even the sound of his voice which usually stays at a constant yell.
While the first half shows the more subtle and cryptic side of Death Grips, the second half feels like a sledgehammer to the face... or a mirror as would be suggesting by the first track "I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States." A track that, even in the wonderful world of Death Grips track names, is utterly hilarious and brilliant all at the same time. This side of the album just hits you with one kick to the face after another, especially with tracks like "Inanimate Sensation" and "The Powers That B" which both have hooks that rival anything on The Money Store. But this side's biggest surprises come with tracks like "Beyond Alive", "Turned Off", and "On GP", all of which have clear live guitar and drums on them, whether they are live or sampled, they all sound fantastic and lend a lot of punch to these tracks.
In a way this album mirrors the one two punch of the band's two 2012 albums, The Money Store and No Love Deep Web, but this time around, with things seemingly coming to an end for the group, they put every ounce of aggression and introspection into this double album, which leads to this simply being their most cohesive and instantaneous album to date.
I wasn't expecting to do this... but I think this album is another example, like Kendrick's album earlier this week, of music at its best. Music was meant to be pushed forward, and while I do enjoy artists who commit to simply making their music solid and rooted in tradition, I have to give credit when a band can be as wonderfully off the cuff and awesome as Death Grips. This may be the band's last project, but their legacy will last a very long time.
10/10
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