Instead of the typical pseudo-definitive ranking of the “Best Albums of 2016,” this December we’re trying something different. The Rutgers Review is bringing you 31 days of our writers’ favorite albums this year, from internationally anticipated releases to local debuts to a few guilty pleasures, without caring what critics have had to say.
For those new to Death Grips, Bottomless Pit is a great starting point. As of 2016, this experimental hip-hop trio has released five studio albums in as many years since they started out in Sacramento, California. The band consists of rapper Stefan Burnett, a.k.a. MC Ride; producer Zach Hill on drums; and co-producer Andy Morin. With each new album, Death Grips has consistently pushed the boundaries of hip-hop by implementing unconventional methods of production that are more typical of punk rock. The result has been half a dozen of the most unique and memorable records in the history of either rap or rock, which has earned Death Grips their rightful status as one of the greatest hip-hop acts of at least the past decade. Their latest record is no exception.
Death Grips’ fifth studio album Bottomless Pit was the perfect follow-up to their ambitious 2015 double-LP, the powers that b. In many ways, this short but sweet record has proved to be one of their most exciting projects to date. In a hard-hitting 13-tracks spanning only 40 minutes, MC Ride, Zach Hill, and Andy Morin yet again demonstrate their ability to consistently produce new and original sounds that twist popular conventions of rap and punk music. While DG have a reputation for churning out great albums year after year, Bottomless Pit stands out as their strongest work since 2011’s The Money Store and one of the best albums of 2016.
Standing alone, every song on Bottomless Pit could be a single. That is, it’s pretty hard to skip any one of them. As per their usual style, Death Grips deliver exhilarating vocals, thunderous drums, unforgettable beats and overall excellent production on each track. From the moment Hill’s drums come in on the lead track Giving Bad People Good Ideas, you know this is going to be a classic DG record. From start to finish, this album delivers Death Grips’ unique sound with greater refinement and potency than on their previous and more experimental records, such as Government Plates. It feels like the sound they were laying the foundation for on these earlier albums has taken full form on Bottomless Pit while sticking to the roots of the style that made those albums so iconic. In this sense, their newest record is arguably the band’s most accessible to new listeners while keeping their fans impressed by bringing their definitive production techniques ever closer to perfection.
Where the focus is less on Morin’s production or MC Ride’s lyrics, Hill’s drums do the talking just fine on this record. Songs like Hot Head and Three Bedrooms in a Good Neighborhood feature some of the most intense and memorable moments on Bottomless Pit, so you’ll probably end up replaying these the most. Other standout tracks include Spikes, Trash, Eh, BB Poison, and… well, I’ve almost listed every track anyway, so just check it out if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed.
by: Tim Schobel