Death Grips – Government Plates

If cancelled shows and major label snubs are anything to go by, budding Death Grips initiates would be wise to expect the unexpected. Case in point: Government Plates, the Sacramento trio's latest misanthropic statement to the world, was simply posted with no prior hype.

 

The collective's thrilling assault of jarring punk, primal rhythms and shrill, disorientating electronics reign on lead-in track ...Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat, which is like viewing a drug-fuelled rave through the rose-tinted glasses of a murderous sadist. Each consecutive cut rattles the cranium with a hybrid of styles, some harsh, others (relatively) muted; Whatever I Want and the title track both toy with downtempo glitch when they're not being savaged by Stefan Burnett's distorted, aggressive jeers.

 

It's easily their most abstract record yet, plunging deeper into the bleak, futuristic abyss they peered down into on last year's NO LOVE DEEP WEB. Tracks don't blend together as much as they stutter and malfunction in order to give way to more sonic depravity. As such, it's at times a challenging listen – even by their standards – but one that further empowers their merciless, self-serving legacy. [Ross Watson]