+MDrummKid2 of course it was intentional. Grips knew the angle the album would be displayed at and adjusted the plate on the cover accordingly. I wonder when Fantano realized it, before or after the edit
6 is far too low for this. I think it's one of Death Grips most unique albums. Its so different to every other album they have released. In my view its like their DJ release. It's very synthetic, using what feels like only electronic instrumentation. They attempted to manipulate the hell out of vocals, cut up vocal samples, make little loops all over the place, pitch shift, create strange mixes. They weren't too focused on making standard song structures, but on creating interesting mixes of sounds that carry a nice beat. Could imagine being in a rave cave at 4 am and flinging my head around to this as im pinging on my 3rd molly of the night until the sun comes up.
The Money Store was an album that featured a perfect combination of vocals and instrumental production. No Love Deep Web focused on Rides vocals and the instrumentals were comparably decreased. So I thought it'd be only right that this album heavily focused on the cutting edge instrumentals. on first listen I definitely appreciated this album more than I had their previous release.
I had a ball listening to this album. Went on Death Grips channel just staring at the visuals and browsing the comments. Time flew by real quick and the album was like a sonic blur. 8/10 for me
i love this album, the instrumentation shines more than their previous works. birds is a great song, anne bonny is amazing, opening track is amazing, bootleg is amazing, overdrive is amazing, whatever i want is amazing, two heavens is amazing and i'd honestly rank this album on par with money store, and better than no love deep web.
I actually liked this album and so far would put it up there with money store...to me this was like Death Grips version of Can's future days where the singer kind of disappears half way thru the album...This is also the only death grips release where i think i understood the whole concept of the album (without reading the lyrics) which to me was like Mc Ride being possessed by the music to the point where he just exists as a vocal sample and just cause of the concept i let the fact he didnt appear on more tracks slide but i also see where Fantano's coming from 2..i'll see how i feel about the album in a few months
Interesting comparison to the best album ever made. Though your point is solid, I still think this isn't as good as their previous work, not because of the lack of lyrics but because of the somewhat messy and forgettable tracks.
I still maintain that 'On GP' is a heartbroken dispatch to Anthingy Fantanoun for his 6-score on Death Grips' [GP] Government Plates. "Wouldn't believe how many nights I ain't died for you on GP [Government Plates]" 'mit it Anthingy, the 6-score was to deflect accusations of your unrequited love for this band. The random drop and subsequent napkin abandonment was too much 4u to handle. I don't blame you. We r all human, as The Killers 4told.
Thanks for reviewing and giving your honest opinion even though you think it's their worst release so far. Personally, at the moment I feel like I'm going to appreciate this album more for its radical change in direction than for the actual songs themselves, even though I enjoy a lot of them.
the fact he didn't talk about fuck who's watching is a little concerning, it's the cornerstone piece of the album, like NLDW didn't use flatlander as much, GP didn't use ride as much, their last all together effort was MS, but I still love NLDW and I love this album, it has a goal and it gets that goal. Good review though, it's not like you hated it, just didn't stick with you
I'm cool with whatever Fantano says about this album. Because he even says it's just an opinion. I'm glad he acknowledges that. It's just the Fantano drones who annoy the shit out of me, saying they won't like an album just because it got a low score or shit review from him. There are actually people like this out there. That said, GP is solid, most likely my AOTY.
For me, I thought that it was an incredibly ambitious re-imagining of the formula they cooked up on NLDW. Pillbox is the most pummeling thing they've released. Perfect way to start the fantastic first half of the album, brought to a staggering close by the brilliantly oblique Birds. The album may be less "memorable", but only because they traded their viral hooks (frankly a welcome change for me) for the most interesting and glitchiest collection of instrumentals we've heard from them yet. Wheel, Overflow, Big House, and the title track prove that they can be just as interesting without focusing on vocals in the same way NLDW proved the same with the production. For me, the entire album culminates in Whatever I Want. The Hecker-like synths on the chorus pick you up and drop you in another fucking dimension while you're blasted by chopped-up waves of Ride's voice. It's easily one of the highlights of their discography, IMO. This album is best appreciated at full volume in the system of a getaway car. It's tour de force that will knock you flat on your ass if you let it. I give it a 9/10.
Regardless of the fact that I enjoy this album more than NLDW and TMS and disagree with your opinion, mostly, Cal took a picture of his penis on his phone. That is worth my "like."
My prediction on this album is that this ISNT the album they said they would be releasing in 2014, but is instead just the soundtrack of the independent movie that Zach Hill is directing. There are a few articles i read about this as well, and i believe it too because it seemed like there were too many "beat/ instrumental" type songs on this album than i would have expected from Death Grips as a stand alone. I like the album, its worth listening to, but i think we can still expect another one.
i almost completely agree with you anthony. though, i do love birds, government plates, and whatever i want. 7/10 for me. great review, i hope DG bounces back. i hope there arent any instrumentals arent on the next
Huge fan of the Death Grips, but when this album dropped I wasn't too impressed. I still love the sounds and the style, but the songs were weaker and yeah probably got boring faster than they should've. I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this way.
I'm gonna start doing TheNeedleDrop reviews of TheNeedleDrop reviews. This would receive a 10/10 for editing, and the "Screw them, screw labels" scene.
The visuals they provided gave me an instant love for the album, but it shouldn't need the visuals to make it amazing. I am a little tired of listening to the songs already. While I believe the repetition is done purposefully that doesn't make it any better to listen to. 7/10
No mention of Anne Bonny? In my opinion, that was the best track upon first listen and repeated listens. A light 6 seems a bit harsh considering the new waters Death Grips was exploring, this is the first Death Grips album that I can play all the way through at a party without half of the people walking out--there's something to that.
I was really excited to hear what you thought of it. I agree that short tracks and more focus on instrumentals was a bit of a change in this album. However in a shuffle of DG songs, I really enjoy this release. There are definitely some awesome bass drops and melodies/lyrics I have a hard time getting out of my head. Repetitive beats on tracks like "Feels Like A Wheel" really caught my attention and the videos to go along with each track really adds a nice visual touch. Great symbolism. I'd say about a 6 for lack of power, but still one of my favorite bands
Guys. Everyone. Go back and listen to this album now. Don't think about Death Grips. Don't think about any other album. Don't compare it to anything. Just listen. The complaints from everyone were that it was too electronic there was not enough MC Ride on the tracks Which led to too much repetition. Basically that it was not Death-Gripsy enough. Who are we to say that it's not like Death Grips? People were comparing it too much to their earlier work. Just listen. It may not be as intense or as raw as earlier Death Grips (although I think it is sure as shit intense enough) BUT the music is still cool as shit. Everyone should have expected Death Grips to change throughout their career. I mean you can't really define them and they work hard for that status. Sure I think their earlier work like The Money Store and No Love are more transcendent and memorable and dynamic and cover more ground, But all of their work is worth analyzing. It just feels like one of those bands that you can't really score on a scale of 10. and maybe you can't really do that with music as a whole
Agree wholeheartedly and love government plates. Took a WHILE to dig through all of it until I enjoyed it all as much as the first half. Up until I'm Overflow it's straight fire, then it gets a bit odd and difficult. The weird synth shit grows on you though. Also being trapped in a place for 30 days with this as my only DG album helped...
Paul Megara The main reason I say this is because you can tell Anthony let people's perception of him dictate how he reviewed this album. Because he makes a big deal out of not giving it a 10/10. Even going so far as to give the score out at the beginning of the video. He was trying to be as harsh as he could on this album because everyone was saying "Oh Anthony loves Death Grips more than any other artist and he'll always give their albums perfect scores" Know what I mean?
(I'm not saying GP deserves a 10/10 I just think he should be ok with everyone calling him a Death Grips fanboy because there is NOTHING wrong with being a DG fanboy)
@@herschelhatcheriv9577 " He was trying to be as harsh as he could on this album because everyone was saying "Oh Anthony loves Death Grips more than any other artist and he'll always give their albums perfect scores" Know what I mean? " If this was the case he would have done it earlier and he stated that he likes it a bit more ever since Anthony isn't hating on DG he's just saying this album wasn't for him and that he didn't like it - its purely based off his own opinion
I hope this was simply, more or less, the soundtrack for the upcoming film by Zach Hill . That would mean we'd STILL have the LP in 2014 to look forward to, which would be awesome! But if that's not the case, this LP was still enjoyable listen.
What's nice are the really trippy electronics in a lot of the songs, and the great ideas that come across. This could easily be played at a rave party all the way through. But it's not got quite enough imagination lyrically to put it up there with the money store
NLDW is their most lyrical outing I think. The Money Store was more anthemic and rousing. NLDW was more subdued and thought out (Artificial Death, No Love) still psychotic, but less abrasive.
Im pretty sure that this LP is going to turn out to be the soundtrack to Zach Hill's short film the DG have previously said they will be working on. For me this would make sense as to why some of the tracks feel little half baked, more repetitive and with the vocals taking a back seat. Zach did say that Birds was from the films sound track, plus it explains why the album dropped early and outside of 2014 (though history doesn't hold this latter point to much).
Honestly Fantano, I mean I know this is just your opinion, but I don't ever think I'll understand your grading scale. How does this album get a 6/10 if MMLP2 gets a 7/10 and TMS gets a 10/10? I don't feel good about this review.
the number system is just a way to quantify an opinion so if you listened to his review but still don't know where he stands the number scale allows you to see if his review is positive or not. I myself don't think reviews work on a grade scale but its just how the world works.
You do not understand since it should not be understandable. It isn't about comparison between the albums as they are, but between the feelings for them.
I also think that his rating system is flawed. His original expectation plays a big role in his album rating. If he he very low expectations from an album but finds it to be moderately good, he gives it a great score ( eg. MMLP2, Trap Lord). The opposite is also true for mediocre albums from which he had extremley high hopes ( eg. Government Plates, Doris, My name is my name). The album rating should be based on the album itself and nothing else.
I think this album is pretty interesting in it's execution. I've noted far less rapping than on "The Money Store" and so on, and I like the idea that Death Grips are trying to make the album feel like a broken and more avant garde by limiting "choruses" and "verses" to screaming slogans by MC Ride. It's almost like this album is a test. With how much prolific status Death Grips have acquired, it's almost a joke that most people will take the music at face value alone. Most people use the idea of Death Grips as a meme take over their opinion of how the music should be evaluated, similar to Neutral Milk Hotel. I'm more of a fan of Honesty than just giving into the will of popular opinion, and a 6/10 is NOT a negative review, so to people hating on Fantano, keep that in mind. Alright. I'm done. Love you, Anty.
I watched and listened to GP on DG's RUclips. It's also the 1st album I heard from DG. I see it more like an audio-visual web art experiment than a usual album release. Big House is a good example. The song is catchy, but the video clip that comes with it makes it creepy to listen to. Same with Bootleg, with the rotating inhaler, barbed wire and mirror. What you watch can warp your perception of the music. Then I listened to the album without watching the videos and it didn't sound and feel the same.
Zach Hill talked in the interviews that it was going to transcend the idea of an album and it's exactly what it does. I don't see the reason how people claim it their weakest. It's probably their darkest album.
I think the quality of this review is kind of sub par when held against his more inspired reviews of past albums. There is little attention put towards the lyrics that are on the album, and a very peripheral analysis of the albums sonic approach. I'm kind of feeling a light to decent five on this thing. But what did YOU think of it. Did you love Anthony Fantano's review of Government Plates? Did you hate it? Why, and what review should I review next?
Sounds about right; I really can't stand Violence Now and Feels Like a Wheel, but everything else is pretty good with a couple being absolutely beautiful. Fantano should have probably mentioned that a lot of (or all of) these tracks were mentioned to be included in Zach's upcoming movie project, which could be reason for less vocals and more repetitiveness.
Definitely the most industrial they've ever sounded. I don't think their albums are meant to be compared, each is completely independent of the previous ones and tries to take the sound in a new direction artistically. I enjoyed it.
I don't think you should listen to tracks like Bootleg as an individual song. Listened to as a whole album it's much better than just listening to each song individually, if that makes sense. Bootleg gives a spaced out break before the final track, which is rather enjoyable IMO.
I don't think you appreciate instrumentals much, judging by your review of SAMIYAM's "Sam Bakers Album" and the amazing instrumentals on this LP. Really, Bootleg (Don't need your help) is one of my favorite songs on this LP.
Dammit first time I get mad at a review. Maybe it's just me being a DG fanboy but holy shit this doesn't deserve a light 6. I don't agree with your opinion... but hey, it's just your opinion. I still can't avoid getting a bit angry about it.
Meh. I can't get mad over this, it's just *his* opinion. Personally, at worst I think GP was an 8, _at worst_. And I'm 99% sure that given a few months, this is going to grow on people the way NLDW did, and you'll start to see a lot of opinions change.
my first 3 or so listens to Gov Plates put me at about a 7-8 because I wasn't blown away like I was with TMS. But after I've allowed this to grow on me, it wasn't just upgraded to a 10, but I realized the album was as groundbreaking for Death Grips' sound as TMS was for the entire music world. Its crazy. The group that redefined music released an album so incredible that it redefined themselves...or rather, it redefined our perceptions of we thought they were capable of...
People need to accept that there is a bit less of MC Ride on this album, than previous releases. Once you have done that you can really appreciate the instrumentals and sampling, just like all their other albums, but with brighter, more electronic, to-the-point production that stands out more that Ride does. I feel like this was a changing for the better, but of course not everyone is going to agree. And also stop comparing GP to NLDW, people.
I really wish they left it to just one or two short instrumentals like '5D' or something. I still really like this album and I also loved the surprise release, but it needs a tiny bit moar MC Ride.
The broken glass album intro reminds me of QOTSA's ...Like Clockwork. I agree with the review, it's a solid album with some good tunes, but not that awesome like The Money Store was. I still love it.
I actually really enjoyed the album. Yeah tracks like "Feels like a wheel" have repetitive samples on them, but the instrumentation underneath it is constantly changing and the sample is also really enjoyable to my ear. When NO LOVE came out I probably listened to it a few times the first weekend, I've already listened to this album about 20 times. Usually I agree with you, but here I would have given it an 8.
Anthony, i feel that the more music you listen to, the less your cravings will be satisfied. I really am curious how much can you allow yourself the luxury of digesting an album and listening to it in different contexts before you form a definitive opinion on it? And can't an album have some repetition present? The repetition on GP only adds to the songs infectious quality of pumping me the fuck up. Don't get me wrong, I love your channel and by all means keep doing what you do best. Also, I can't shake the feeling that you were expecting a hip-hop album but got an electronic one instead. This Death Grips album has more stuff in common with Atari Teenage Riot and idm than any hip-hop album I can think of.
This 6 is relative to the rest of death grips discography. If mostly any other group released this album it would probably be a 9. Some of the tracks are here are creative masterpieces
needledrop, They said it's more of a soundtrack for Zach Hill's upcoming movie, not an album itself. The album they claimed to release in 2014 IS coming out in well, 2014. I hope you see this.
They haven't said anything like that. Literally the only thing they've said (that I've seen so far) has been "NEW RELEASE: Government Plates by Death Grips". I don't know what it's supposed to be. Where did you read that they said it was definitely the soundtrack?
Seems like the Robert Pattison stuff was fake news from someone else. Doesn't mean the band themselves weren't serious about making a movie, whatever it happens to be like.
I switched off this album after 3 songs because it wasn't grabbing me. Might go back to it later. I couldn't get into Ex-Military either for a while but I like it now and everything up to this new tape has been good.
Death Grips are a brilliant group but I swear to God some of you treat them like the be all end all of music. Just because they're cryptic doesn't mean that their music is always good. They made an average album, they weren't TRYING to make a brilliant one. It's obvious that they're just fucking around.
I have to agree. The album was underwhelming and honestly a lot of the songs sort of blended together, it lacked the variety or unpredictability of their other releases which was part of what made them so interesting.
Actually at first I just couldn't get what DeathGrips were trying to do with this album, but after a couple of listens I realized that it's extremely different than what they've previously done, and that made me happy and made me listen more. I find that the instrumentals are really good, they made me appreciate Death Grips not only for MC Ride's vocals but also for their instrumentation and Production.
I agree with Anthony on most of his criticisms of the album...BUT - "Whatever I Want" is my favorite song on this entire album, and I think it's hypnotic and beautiful. Reminds me of Silent Hill OST's to be honest. I personally view GP as an 8 and I'm fucking stoked on whatever Death Grips offer next.
Two Heavens is one of my favorite tracks by Death Grips, i've listened to it about 70 times since GP dropped. I'd probably give the album a 7.5, my least favorite DG album but still pretty good.
I know you're mostly interested in what they propose musically and lyrically speaking, but what do you think about the visuals they made for GP? To me, they're quite minimalist and amateurish, but I think they contribute to the eerie feeling this record gives after Birds. I liked the abstraction too, I can't listen to GP now without envisioning these repetitively spinning objects... They may get more and more into tying their music with visuals than just focusing on abrasiveness, it's a whole new direction and I'm quite interested to see where they could go.
anyone ever notice that they made this album cover specifically so that the plate would be aligned when it was on Anthony's wall.
Woah
holy shit. What if they did that on purpose?? I mean I know that death grips knows that Anthony reviews everything they put out... shit
Good god...
***** no
+MDrummKid2 of course it was intentional. Grips knew the angle the album would be displayed at and adjusted the plate on the cover accordingly. I wonder when Fantano realized it, before or after the edit
I know a lot of y'all are upset, but don't worry: Gaga STILL can't handle this shit.
She can't. Ive seen footage
please review Cupid Deluxe by Blood orange. AOTY for me
MELLOWHIGH
Mellowhigh!
Mellowhigh would be appreciated.
If this album had Death Grips featured on it Anthony would give it a 9 at least.
T-this is Death Grips
PorkyTheKing
>>>>>>>>the joke
Your head
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>intelligent 2016 human
saying >>>>>>>the joke
your head
>>>>>>her table
your head
>>>>>>your body
her bed
my table go big@@papayer
of course Feels like a wheel is repetitive.. look at the title!
1:14, Cal recreating the No Love Deep Web album cover, I see you Chuchesta.
That moment made me wish I was Anthony. Just because he got to witness Cal doing that.
I want the pic cal took
Do you think the license plate on the cover is tilted because it would look straight on his wall?
fight me irl fantano
Fight me ivl
Visually it's their best album
what do you mean?
I didn't realize it was a visual album my bad
@shoelace
Nice Mariya Takeuchi pfp.
2 years later and you're still wrong.
nah this is definitely their weakest album
+Stefan Burnett Still not a six imo, I'd say 7-8 at least
+IJustNukedMcDonalds the biggest problem with this album is that its completely forgettable
exmillitary IMO was their weakest, v unpopular opinion ive noticed
Nigga is perhaps their weakest album. GP isn't that bad as it is inaccessible and it's a neat album overall, though they have better ones.
6 is far too low for this. I think it's one of Death Grips most unique albums. Its so different to every other album they have released. In my view its like their DJ release. It's very synthetic, using what feels like only electronic instrumentation. They attempted to manipulate the hell out of vocals, cut up vocal samples, make little loops all over the place, pitch shift, create strange mixes. They weren't too focused on making standard song structures, but on creating interesting mixes of sounds that carry a nice beat. Could imagine being in a rave cave at 4 am and flinging my head around to this as im pinging on my 3rd molly of the night until the sun comes up.
you get it YOU GET IT
Wait until bro listens to electronic music
why didn't you discuss birds? it's easily the best track on gp
Track reviewed it before.
Caid Franks haha "on gp"
dgmcl3284 weird
nO It’S NOt
did you just unintentionally predict the title of a song off of jenny death?
hi Anthony how r u today
good, how are you? :)
theneedledrop
i am good thank u for asking so kind
this is perfection.
@@jamesgandfini7145 ah, I wish *all* comment interactions always went this way..
Sorry Anthony ='(
hi Anthony how r u today
review Neon Genesis Evangelion
God Bless u
MC Ride is not a rapper in the traditional sense, he acts and preforms more as a character with the music.
I doubt that its merely a character
Watch his interviews
I think that's what a lot of rappers do though
It comes from a real place, it just isn't how he normally acts. Sort of like a venting process than a character being played.
nah bro, this isnt tyler the creator where he plays characters. Ride is Ride
The Money Store was an album that featured a perfect combination of vocals and instrumental production. No Love Deep Web focused on Rides vocals and the instrumentals were comparably decreased. So I thought it'd be only right that this album heavily focused on the cutting edge instrumentals. on first listen I definitely appreciated this album more than I had their previous release.
this album is an 11/9 Anthony, review this two more times
13/11
Two heavens is my favourite death grips song. I have nothing else to say.
Same
This is wrong but I respect it
I had a ball listening to this album. Went on Death Grips channel just staring at the visuals and browsing the comments. Time flew by real quick and the album was like a sonic blur.
8/10 for me
This is just as bad as giving yeezus a 5
i love this album, the instrumentation shines more than their previous works. birds is a great song, anne bonny is amazing, opening track is amazing, bootleg is amazing, overdrive is amazing, whatever i want is amazing, two heavens is amazing and i'd honestly rank this album on par with money store, and better than no love deep web.
but its to short and mc ride's absence is not doing well for the album. but I do love the opening
I actually liked this album and so far would put it up there with money store...to me this was like Death Grips version of Can's future days where the singer kind of disappears half way thru the album...This is also the only death grips release where i think i understood the whole concept of the album (without reading the lyrics) which to me was like Mc Ride being possessed by the music to the point where he just exists as a vocal sample and just cause of the concept i let the fact he didnt appear on more tracks slide but i also see where Fantano's coming from 2..i'll see how i feel about the album in a few months
Interesting comparison to the best album ever made. Though your point is solid, I still think this isn't as good as their previous work, not because of the lack of lyrics but because of the somewhat messy and forgettable tracks.
I still maintain that 'On GP' is a heartbroken dispatch to Anthingy Fantanoun for his 6-score on Death Grips' [GP] Government Plates.
"Wouldn't believe how many nights I ain't died for you on GP [Government Plates]"
'mit it Anthingy, the 6-score was to deflect accusations of your unrequited love for this band. The random drop and subsequent napkin abandonment was too much 4u to handle. I don't blame you.
We r all human, as The Killers 4told.
PRESSIN' DOWN ON THE PILLOW 'TIL I CAN'T HEAR YOU BREATHIN'
FOR NO REASON
I'M ON MY WAY OUT
RINGS ON MY
R R RINGS ON MY
R R RINGS ON MY
R R RINGS ON MY HAND
Thanks for reviewing and giving your honest opinion even though you think it's their worst release so far.
Personally, at the moment I feel like I'm going to appreciate this album more for its radical change in direction than for the actual songs themselves, even though I enjoy a lot of them.
the fact he didn't talk about fuck who's watching is a little concerning, it's the cornerstone piece of the album, like NLDW didn't use flatlander as much, GP didn't use ride as much, their last all together effort was MS, but I still love NLDW and I love this album, it has a goal and it gets that goal. Good review though, it's not like you hated it, just didn't stick with you
sorry but this is a huge L
Bros tripping this album is a decent 8
i like how after he said he gives it a 6/10 it cuts to chuck with the album's penis going downwards. lolo
I'm cool with whatever Fantano says about this album. Because he even says it's just an opinion. I'm glad he acknowledges that. It's just the Fantano drones who annoy the shit out of me, saying they won't like an album just because it got a low score or shit review from him. There are actually people like this out there. That said, GP is solid, most likely my AOTY.
Cal took a picture of his Chuchesta at 1:14
top 3 death grips albums for me
1. Government Plates
2. Bottomless Pit
3. Money Stor
For me, I thought that it was an incredibly ambitious re-imagining of the formula they cooked up on NLDW. Pillbox is the most pummeling thing they've released. Perfect way to start the fantastic first half of the album, brought to a staggering close by the brilliantly oblique Birds. The album may be less "memorable", but only because they traded their viral hooks (frankly a welcome change for me) for the most interesting and glitchiest collection of instrumentals we've heard from them yet. Wheel, Overflow, Big House, and the title track prove that they can be just as interesting without focusing on vocals in the same way NLDW proved the same with the production. For me, the entire album culminates in Whatever I Want. The Hecker-like synths on the chorus pick you up and drop you in another fucking dimension while you're blasted by chopped-up waves of Ride's voice. It's easily one of the highlights of their discography, IMO.
This album is best appreciated at full volume in the system of a getaway car. It's tour de force that will knock you flat on your ass if you let it. I give it a 9/10.
Regardless of the fact that I enjoy this album more than NLDW and TMS and disagree with your opinion, mostly, Cal took a picture of his penis on his phone. That is worth my "like."
My prediction on this album is that this ISNT the album they said they would be releasing in 2014, but is instead just the soundtrack of the independent movie that Zach Hill is directing. There are a few articles i read about this as well, and i believe it too because it seemed like there were too many "beat/ instrumental" type songs on this album than i would have expected from Death Grips as a stand alone. I like the album, its worth listening to, but i think we can still expect another one.
This record should've been released as a 4-5 track EP, some tracks here just sound lazy
i almost completely agree with you anthony. though, i do love birds, government plates, and whatever i want. 7/10 for me. great review, i hope DG bounces back. i hope there arent any instrumentals arent on the next
😡
Huge fan of the Death Grips, but when this album dropped I wasn't too impressed. I still love the sounds and the style, but the songs were weaker and yeah probably got boring faster than they should've. I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt this way.
I'm gonna start doing TheNeedleDrop reviews of TheNeedleDrop reviews. This would receive a 10/10 for editing, and the "Screw them, screw labels" scene.
No way he didn’t mention Birds, one of the best and darkest dg songs i’ve heard.
This is like the DAMN. version of Death Grips
This is the order 66 moment in melon’s career
this is the moment when mr fantano noticed mc ride is black
The visuals they provided gave me an instant love for the album, but it shouldn't need the visuals to make it amazing. I am a little tired of listening to the songs already. While I believe the repetition is done purposefully that doesn't make it any better to listen to. 7/10
It's speculated that Government Plates could be the soundtrack to the film Hill is working on. Thoughts on that?
No mention of Anne Bonny? In my opinion, that was the best track upon first listen and repeated listens. A light 6 seems a bit harsh considering the new waters Death Grips was exploring, this is the first Death Grips album that I can play all the way through at a party without half of the people walking out--there's something to that.
he mentioned it, one of my fav death grips songs tbh
fuck im 8 years late, tf am i doing
@@daan9094 I mean you’re right. It was literally at the start of the video lol
I was really excited to hear what you thought of it. I agree that short tracks and more focus on instrumentals was a bit of a change in this album. However in a shuffle of DG songs, I really enjoy this release. There are definitely some awesome bass drops and melodies/lyrics I have a hard time getting out of my head. Repetitive beats on tracks like "Feels Like A Wheel" really caught my attention and the videos to go along with each track really adds a nice visual touch. Great symbolism. I'd say about a 6 for lack of power, but still one of my favorite bands
Guys. Everyone. Go back and listen to this album now. Don't think about Death Grips. Don't think about any other album. Don't compare it to anything. Just listen. The complaints from everyone were that it was too electronic there was not enough MC Ride on the tracks Which led to too much repetition. Basically that it was not Death-Gripsy enough. Who are we to say that it's not like Death Grips? People were comparing it too much to their earlier work. Just listen. It may not be as intense or as raw as earlier Death Grips (although I think it is sure as shit intense enough) BUT the music is still cool as shit. Everyone should have expected Death Grips to change throughout their career. I mean you can't really define them and they work hard for that status. Sure I think their earlier work like The Money Store and No Love are more transcendent and memorable and dynamic and cover more ground, But all of their work is worth analyzing. It just feels like one of those bands that you can't really score on a scale of 10. and maybe you can't really do that with music as a whole
Agree wholeheartedly and love government plates. Took a WHILE to dig through all of it until I enjoyed it all as much as the first half. Up until I'm Overflow it's straight fire, then it gets a bit odd and difficult. The weird synth shit grows on you though. Also being trapped in a place for 30 days with this as my only DG album helped...
Paul Megara The main reason I say this is because you can tell Anthony let people's perception of him dictate how he reviewed this album. Because he makes a big deal out of not giving it a 10/10. Even going so far as to give the score out at the beginning of the video. He was trying to be as harsh as he could on this album because everyone was saying "Oh Anthony loves Death Grips more than any other artist and he'll always give their albums perfect scores" Know what I mean?
(I'm not saying GP deserves a 10/10 I just think he should be ok with everyone calling him a Death Grips fanboy because there is NOTHING wrong with being a DG fanboy)
@@herschelhatcheriv9577 " He was trying to be as harsh as he could on this album because everyone was saying "Oh Anthony loves Death Grips more than any other artist and he'll always give their albums perfect scores" Know what I mean? "
If this was the case he would have done it earlier
and he stated that he likes it a bit more ever since
Anthony isn't hating on DG he's just saying this album wasn't for him and that he didn't like it - its purely based off his own opinion
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did it grow on you since you put out the review?
I want a video where we see cal's reaction throughout the entirety of the video
Watching in 2019 and my favorite death grips album is still Government plates, it’s such an underrated album
I hope this was simply, more or less, the soundtrack for the upcoming film by Zach Hill . That would mean we'd STILL have the LP in 2014 to look forward to, which would be awesome! But if that's not the case, this LP was still enjoyable listen.
What's nice are the really trippy electronics in a lot of the songs, and the great ideas that come across. This could easily be played at a rave party all the way through. But it's not got quite enough imagination lyrically to put it up there with the money store
NLDW is their most lyrical outing I think. The Money Store was more anthemic and rousing. NLDW was more subdued and thought out (Artificial Death, No Love) still psychotic, but less abrasive.
Sooftah you are right, but I think the money store is lyrically very underrated. With NLDW the lyrical value was a bit more obvious
since the green screen is tilted it makes the plate on the album cover perfectly straight.
coincidence?
+Radric Davis this is probably the reason it is that way, mc ride knows.
b8?
Im pretty sure that this LP is going to turn out to be the soundtrack to Zach Hill's short film the DG have previously said they will be working on. For me this would make sense as to why some of the tracks feel little half baked, more repetitive and with the vocals taking a back seat. Zach did say that Birds was from the films sound track, plus it explains why the album dropped early and outside of 2014 (though history doesn't hold this latter point to much).
Honestly Fantano, I mean I know this is just your opinion, but I don't ever think I'll understand your grading scale. How does this album get a 6/10 if MMLP2 gets a 7/10 and TMS gets a 10/10? I don't feel good about this review.
*****
word
the number system is just a way to quantify an opinion so if you listened to his review but still don't know where he stands the number scale allows you to see if his review is positive or not. I myself don't think reviews work on a grade scale but its just how the world works.
The grading scale is based on personal enjoyment
You do not understand since it should not be understandable. It isn't about comparison between the albums as they are, but between the feelings for them.
I also think that his rating system is flawed. His original expectation plays a big role in his album rating. If he he very low expectations from an album but finds it to be moderately good, he gives it a great score ( eg. MMLP2, Trap Lord). The opposite is also true for mediocre albums from which he had extremley high hopes ( eg. Government Plates, Doris, My name is my name).
The album rating should be based on the album itself and nothing else.
I think this album is pretty interesting in it's execution. I've noted far less rapping than on "The Money Store" and so on, and I like the idea that Death Grips are trying to make the album feel like a broken and more avant garde by limiting "choruses" and "verses" to screaming slogans by MC Ride.
It's almost like this album is a test. With how much prolific status Death Grips have acquired, it's almost a joke that most people will take the music at face value alone. Most people use the idea of Death Grips as a meme take over their opinion of how the music should be evaluated, similar to Neutral Milk Hotel.
I'm more of a fan of Honesty than just giving into the will of popular opinion, and a 6/10 is NOT a negative review, so to people hating on Fantano, keep that in mind.
Alright. I'm done. Love you, Anty.
Couldn't agree more. Well said.
It's kind of reflected in the album title, even. Government Plates. You can't fit much more than a slogan on a licenseplate.
I agree
I watched and listened to GP on DG's RUclips. It's also the 1st album I heard from DG.
I see it more like an audio-visual web art experiment than a usual album release.
Big House is a good example. The song is catchy, but the video clip that comes with it makes it creepy to listen to. Same with Bootleg, with the rotating inhaler, barbed wire and mirror. What you watch can warp your perception of the music.
Then I listened to the album without watching the videos and it didn't sound and feel the same.
Zach Hill talked in the interviews that it was going to transcend the idea of an album and it's exactly what it does. I don't see the reason how people claim it their weakest. It's probably their darkest album.
I think the quality of this review is kind of sub par when held against his more inspired reviews of past albums. There is little attention put towards the lyrics that are on the album, and a very peripheral analysis of the albums sonic approach. I'm kind of feeling a light to decent five on this thing. But what did YOU think of it. Did you love Anthony Fantano's review of Government Plates? Did you hate it? Why, and what review should I review next?
I hated this album at first but I listened to it all the way through and was blown away
Sounds about right; I really can't stand Violence Now and Feels Like a Wheel, but everything else is pretty good with a couple being absolutely beautiful.
Fantano should have probably mentioned that a lot of (or all of) these tracks were mentioned to be included in Zach's upcoming movie project, which could be reason for less vocals and more repetitiveness.
Definitely the most industrial they've ever sounded. I don't think their albums are meant to be compared, each is completely independent of the previous ones and tries to take the sound in a new direction artistically. I enjoyed it.
"most industrial" maybe thats why i like it so much then
I don't think you should listen to tracks like Bootleg as an individual song. Listened to as a whole album it's much better than just listening to each song individually, if that makes sense. Bootleg gives a spaced out break before the final track, which is rather enjoyable IMO.
you hear an ominous rumble in the distance... /mu/ has awakened.
Thanks for keeping it real Anthony.
I don't think you appreciate instrumentals much, judging by your review of SAMIYAM's "Sam Bakers Album" and the amazing instrumentals on this LP. Really, Bootleg (Don't need your help) is one of my favorite songs on this LP.
ratatat has also gotten less then favorable reviews from him over the years
appleman1324
i'll check that out, i love me some samiyam
Completely disagree, Fantano. For me, the increased emphasis on chaos and the departure from coherence is part of why I love this thing so much.
Great review. I especially liked the disappointed Cal interludes.
L review ngl I prefer this one over money store
Based
I mostly listen to Death Grips for literally the sound of the music, not so much lyrics, so this album is perfect for me.
Dammit first time I get mad at a review. Maybe it's just me being a DG fanboy but holy shit this doesn't deserve a light 6. I don't agree with your opinion... but hey, it's just your opinion. I still can't avoid getting a bit angry about it.
Meh. I can't get mad over this, it's just *his* opinion. Personally, at worst I think GP was an 8, _at worst_. And I'm 99% sure that given a few months, this is going to grow on people the way NLDW did, and you'll start to see a lot of opinions change.
Yeah, I mean, this isn't as good as TMS that's for sure but a light 6? That's not fair. I would give this album a strong 7 to a light 8.
my first 3 or so listens to Gov Plates put me at about a 7-8 because I wasn't blown away like I was with TMS. But after I've allowed this to grow on me, it wasn't just upgraded to a 10, but I realized the album was as groundbreaking for Death Grips' sound as TMS was for the entire music world. Its crazy. The group that redefined music released an album so incredible that it redefined themselves...or rather, it redefined our perceptions of we thought they were capable of...
@Jack Tilley which band?
Eh, Fuck Who's Watching
People need to accept that there is a bit less of MC Ride on this album, than previous releases. Once you have done that you can really appreciate the instrumentals and sampling, just like all their other albums, but with brighter, more electronic, to-the-point production that stands out more that Ride does. I feel like this was a changing for the better, but of course not everyone is going to agree. And also stop comparing GP to NLDW, people.
Your statement is 100% correct. alot of people compare GP to NLDW for its "rhythmic" fashion.
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I really wish they left it to just one or two short instrumentals like '5D' or something. I still really like this album and I also loved the surprise release, but it needs a tiny bit moar MC Ride.
The broken glass album intro reminds me of QOTSA's ...Like Clockwork.
I agree with the review, it's a solid album with some good tunes, but not that awesome like The Money Store was. I still love it.
I actually really enjoyed the album. Yeah tracks like "Feels like a wheel" have repetitive samples on them, but the instrumentation underneath it is constantly changing and the sample is also really enjoyable to my ear. When NO LOVE came out I probably listened to it a few times the first weekend, I've already listened to this album about 20 times. Usually I agree with you, but here I would have given it an 8.
I would say the same thing about Bootleg and This is Violence Now too. Some of the best produced and most balanced DG songs IMO
1:48 he makes a good counterargument
Anthony, i feel that the more music you listen to, the less your cravings will be satisfied. I really am curious how much can you allow yourself the luxury of digesting an album and listening to it in different contexts before you form a definitive opinion on it? And can't an album have some repetition present? The repetition on GP only adds to the songs infectious quality of pumping me the fuck up. Don't get me wrong, I love your channel and by all means keep doing what you do best. Also, I can't shake the feeling that you were expecting a hip-hop album but got an electronic one instead. This Death Grips album has more stuff in common with Atari Teenage Riot and idm than any hip-hop album I can think of.
seeing cal in reviews always brightens my day
NO. JUST NO. This album is quite clearly better than NO LOVE DEEP WEB....
This 6 is relative to the rest of death grips discography. If mostly any other group released this album it would probably be a 9. Some of the tracks are here are creative masterpieces
needledrop, They said it's more of a soundtrack for Zach Hill's upcoming movie, not an album itself. The album they claimed to release in 2014 IS coming out in well, 2014. I hope you see this.
it doesn't matter. it has been released as a stand alone album and should be judged that way.
They haven't said anything like that. Literally the only thing they've said (that I've seen so far) has been "NEW RELEASE: Government Plates by Death Grips". I don't know what it's supposed to be. Where did you read that they said it was definitely the soundtrack?
I don't think there is a movie. That Robert Pattison shit confirmed that for me. Seemed like a piss take to me.
Seems like the Robert Pattison stuff was fake news from someone else. Doesn't mean the band themselves weren't serious about making a movie, whatever it happens to be like.
sure it did
I switched off this album after 3 songs because it wasn't grabbing me. Might go back to it later. I couldn't get into Ex-Military either for a while but I like it now and everything up to this new tape has been good.
Death Grips are a brilliant group but I swear to God some of you treat them like the be all end all of music. Just because they're cryptic doesn't mean that their music is always good. They made an average album, they weren't TRYING to make a brilliant one. It's obvious that they're just fucking around.
I like how you're not biased. If your favorite artists put out bullshit, you call them out on it.
I have to agree. The album was underwhelming and honestly a lot of the songs sort of blended together, it lacked the variety or unpredictability of their other releases which was part of what made them so interesting.
Relisten to it. It hits different.
Anne Bonny fuckin bangs
Actually at first I just couldn't get what DeathGrips were trying to do with this album, but after a couple of listens I realized that it's extremely different than what they've previously done, and that made me happy and made me listen more. I find that the instrumentals are really good, they made me appreciate Death Grips not only for MC Ride's vocals but also for their instrumentation and Production.
FANTANO GAVE A DEATH GRIPS ALBUM A 6. END TIMES ARE NEAR.
i prefer gov plates over nldw
solid 9 for me, i love the new sound they take on
I agree with Anthony on most of his criticisms of the album...BUT - "Whatever I Want" is my favorite song on this entire album, and I think it's hypnotic and beautiful. Reminds me of Silent Hill OST's to be honest.
I personally view GP as an 8 and I'm fucking stoked on whatever Death Grips offer next.
This is the 3-iest 6 ever
Two Heavens is one of my favorite tracks by Death Grips, i've listened to it about 70 times since GP dropped. I'd probably give the album a 7.5, my least favorite DG album but still pretty good.
Most of these fanboys hating on anthonys review wouldnt even know about death grips if it wasnt for him
just respect his opinion, thats all. Nothing wrong with disagreeing but the manner some people are going about it is pathetic
yes but he's still wrong
I know you're mostly interested in what they propose musically and lyrically speaking, but what do you think about the visuals they made for GP?
To me, they're quite minimalist and amateurish, but I think they contribute to the eerie feeling this record gives after Birds. I liked the abstraction too, I can't listen to GP now without envisioning these repetitively spinning objects... They may get more and more into tying their music with visuals than just focusing on abrasiveness, it's a whole new direction and I'm quite interested to see where they could go.
I didn't notice Cal at 1:12 what he was doing haha