Music Banter - The Playlist of Life --- Trollheart's resurrected Journal

OK, a few disclaimers before we start. Firstly, I know you're all expecting me to hate this. I'm expecting to hate it too, so do me a favour and save the “you don't get it”, “you need to listen more than once” and suchlike comments: I reckon this will be an ordeal, which I'm sure will provide you all some amusement, so unless there is a God and he performs a miracle, I'm unlikely to “get “ this. Deal with it. Secondly, as again you all know my experience of and with hip-hop is totally basic, almost non-existent, so I'm unfamiliar with the proper terms used to review a hip-hop album – I understand beats, flow and rhythm, but other than that, probably very little, so please let me review this in my own usual style. Oh yeah, and samplewise, I'm probably only going to refer to those ones used which I know, although I can see there are a whole lot more.

As Batty would say, suck it.

So, just a quick prayer to a non-existent god, and we're on our way! Enjoy. I doubt I will.
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Although Death Grips have five albums, they also have a mixtape. After reading up on what that means in hip-hop, it becomes clear that I must include this, and as it's chronologically first in their discography, that's where we start.
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Album title: Exmilitary
Artiste: Death Grips
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop
Year: 2011
Label: Self-released
Producer: Death Grips
Chronological position: Debut recording
Notes:
Album chart position: n/a
Singles: n/a
Lineup: MC Ride – Vocals
Zach Hill – Drums
Andy Morin – Keyboards, programming

Not by any means a band I would have chosen to review, but Goofle suggested them way back when I was compiling the discography list, so I didn't want to say no. I think he did it as a joke, but hey, we're here now. I've heard of Death Grips through you guys discussing them, and naturally the mouth covered over to stifle the laughs and the phrase “Trollheart and Death Grips? Please!” have done little to assuage my discomfort or to displace the sinking feeling as I begin this discography, but I'm nothing if not a man of my word, and I promised to do this so I will. I doubt I'll enjoy it though. Pray for me.

Review begins

Starting off with Manson's voice is not a great beginning, but that's how “Beware” kicks off, then there's a slow, doomy kind of beat with the rap and I do have to admit it's well “sung” (let's just allow me to use that phrase for when I'm referring to how the vocals mesh with the music ok?) and rather amazingly I find I like this. Don't wet yourselves yet though, this is only one track and I'm sure it'll be in the minority. So far it's pretty good though. A long one, too, at just under six minutes. That's Zach Hill on the skins there, innit? He whom we heard on the Face Tat album? Who's doing the second vocal, or is it just multitracked versions of MC Ride's voice? Very effective anyway. I guess the music then would be “Up the beach” by Jane's Addiction, according to Wiki. Maybe that's why I find myself liking this. We'll see. A good start anyway, despite my initial reservations. Anyone who had me bailing at the first track, your money is gone. Deal with it. “Guillotine” has another slow, pounding beat, he seems to be saying “Tickle tickle tickle”, don't know why, or maybe it's something else he's saying. It's okay, not as good as the opener but still not bad.

There's more of a rock feel to “Spread eagle cross the block” which is probably due to the sample of Link Wray's “Rumble” than anything else, and the more or less slow pace continues. Supposed to have a sample of the Beasties but I didn't hear it. Arthur Brown is sampled on “Lord of the game” and the speed picks up a little. Quite a bit, actually. Some good drumwork there. Female vocals too, from someone called "Mexican Girl". Indeed. Okay, Frownland reckons I bail on “Takyron (Death yon)” so let's see. Bouncing drumbeats, screams, pretty intense but meh, not sending me scurrying for the exits. Not yet anyway. Kinda like this one to be honest. Very powerful and you can feel the blood pumping. I imagine this goes down great onstage. “Cut throat” doesn't do a lot for me; shown as an instrumental but yer man is shouting over it. Maybe instrumental means something different in this genre? Anyway it's a bit confused but at least it's short, then there are more good drumbeats in “Klink”, which really kicks out the stays and goes a bit mad, really ramping up the intensity. Nice keyboard bit at the end.

“Culture shock” opens with what sounds like a great many people falling over a cliff, then there's a mechanical kind of keyboard riff driving it (and there go more people over the cliff in the background) and a voice says “You need to vibrate higher” (?) but I do notice the vocal is much more restrained, less angry and in-your-face than it has been up to now, mostly. It's a nice change. Not quite a culture shock, but, you know, different. Some of that keyboard riff reminds me of the sound my old modem used to make as it connected to the internet (no, we did not always have broadband: look it up), then there's a quick sampling of Pet Shop Boys' “West End Girls” which they choose to title “5D” for some reason before we're heading “Thru the walls” with a powerful energetic drumbeat from Hill pushing it along and sort of squealy keyboard creating a sense of panic and claustrophobia. Maybe.

It's almost like some sort of seventies disco thing then when “Known for it” kicks in, though it's noted the samples are by Magma, who are or were a prog band, yes? Pretty odd to see that being sampled by a hip-hop band, but then, maybe they do that all the time. What do I know? Prog continues to be in the mix then for “I want it I need it”, where they take two early Floyd classics, “Astronomy domine” and “Interstellar overdrive” as the backdrop, and it works fairly well, especially as MC Ride follows the bassline down. There's some pretty freaky keyboard and samples (I guess) on “Blood creepin” which finishes up the album, but mostly it runs on Hill's energetic percussion, with a lot of shouting, chanting and chest-thumping.

Track listing and ratings

Beware
Guillotine
Spread eagle cross the block
Lord of the game
Takyon (Death yon)
Cut throat
Klink
Culture shock
5D
Thru the walls
Known for it
I want it I need it
Blood creepin

Afterword:

Nowhere near as much of a trial as I had expected. Still not something I'd listen to for pleasure, though if someone locked me in a room with this I wouldn't be screaming to be let out. I've heard a lot worse, and I am not as worried going on now as I had been when I started this. Actually enjoyed some of it. Maybe it's my inexperience with hip-hop, but it's kind of hard to judge this properly when most of the music is made by other people, and some of it I know. Maybe that might be my way in. If I want a way in. One thing's for sure: I'm not kicking down the door to get out just yet.

Who had me lasting to the end of the first album?

Rating: http://www.trollheart.com/hphone.gif http://www.trollheart.com/hphone.gif http://www.trollheart.com/hphone.gif