First off, if you don't like rap music or aggressive lyrics and vocals, turn away now. Death Grips is a Californian rap trio, but apart from that, I could find little information on them, which is strange considering the 'in-your-face' sound they're making on this album. Download it for free here.
The title and band name automatically bring forth images of aggression, and Death Grips certainly lives up to this idea. 'Exmilitary' is best described as a hard, brutal and progressive, though very much 'avant-garde' project that steers away from mainstream rap music. They are rappers for sure, but their obvious hip hop influences are smothered in noise, weird effects and loudness.
Aggression is definitely one of the main elements to Death Grip's sound. From the lyrics drowning in swear-words to the hatred-fueled vocals. These factors to the music on their own would have turned me off immediately, but there is a sense of experimentation within the folds of this album. At the very start of the album there is a recorded voice of a gangster, which leads into some pretty hard lyrics, regarding beast worship of sorts. Another track includes another sampled voice, which crackles and transforms into a beat much like a broken record.
The lyrics in my opinion aren't the best, so I suppose the thing that kept me hooked was the experimentation surrounding this thirteen track record. Sounds are used particularly well, from the fall of the guillotine on the track of the same name, to the reverb covered voice at the end of track eight. The beat is there throughout every song, but this fast and furious sound ends up battering your ears and becoming repetitive and annoying (rather than boring) after the fifty minutes that make up this album.
Overall, this was a very interesting record for me, and almost made up for the fact that I had a slight headache afterwards. The hip hop and rap sounds are there, but Death Grips selling point, like I've said before, is their use of sampled sounds and strangely mixed vocals. If you're a fan of rap music and are looking for an aggression that many bands try to achieve but rarely do, then definitely check this out. Be prepared though, for a sound that steers away from the mainstream, with it's off-kilter drums and vocal assault. A free record, I did rather enjoy the different, punk rap sound that this outfit offers.
