Gripping from start to finish

When Death Grips slammed onto the scene early last year, it turned heads. The Sacramento trio’s debut “Exmilitary” pitted black metal lyrics against punk vocals and the violent production of horrorcore rap. The group’s visceral collision of genres was as all-important to its critical success as lead rapper/singer/shouter MC Ride’s signature yell.

With “The Money Store,” Death Grips’ first of two records out on Epic Records this year, the group rides the buzz it earned from “Exmilitary” and refines its sutured sound into something even more immediately listenable. That’s not to say the song’s rawness was compromised following the switch to a major. Au contraire. It sounds like the band has got an even better grip on the rawness.

These songs get your attention and keep it. “The Fever (Aye Aye)” bangs with devilish authority while incorporating some of the band’s more inventive and mind-bending instrumental work. The production on “Hustle Bones” revs up and crashes into its chorus like a demolition driver in a midnight death race. Schizophrenic standout “Punk Weight” opens with a misdirecting pop loop before exploding into blown-out bass and MC Ride’s best call-and-response.

“The Money Store” starts with a pounding, bassy loop and closes with chopped up noise. Death Grips never dials down the intensity and never missteps.
This is one of the year’s best albums. It’ll give you a fever one second and then scrape it right out of you the next. Aye aye.

By Patrick Beane