Death Grips' "Ex Military" still holds up, 14 years later

After nearly a decade and a half of being kept off streaming services, Death Grips’ debut mixtape makes a triumphant return to the limelight of the experimental hip-hop scene. But do the unorthodox samples, cryptic lyrics and oppressive soundscapes still hold up in 2025? 

For some background, Death Grips is an experimental hip-hop trio from Sacramento, California. The group consists of Zach Hill on drums, MC Ride on vocals and Flatlander on keyboard. The three work collaboratively on production. They were made famous in the early-to-mid 2010s for their skittering drum rhythms, unique samples, distorted sounds, heavy bass and signature yelling rap vocals from MC Ride. 

The opening track, “Beware,” opens with a sample of the famous “I deal the cards” speech from Charles Manson before careening sharply into an explosion of sampled guitars, 16^th-note hi-hats and sampled vocals repeating, “God is watching.” The refrain at the tail end of the chorus encapsulates the energy of the track and Death Grips as an artistic project perfectly, proclaiming, “I am the beast I worship.” The mantra being one of metaphysical hedonism and Kantian Transcendental Idealism. Essentially, you are the master of your reality and the sole proprietor of your life. 

“Guillotine” is uncompromising with its rigid half-note drum rhythm and droning single-note sub-bass. MC Ride is, again, a delightfully weird and uncomfortable treat with his yelling rap vocals. “Lord of the Game” features Ride rapping about the virtue of independence, not letting the past define you, and living in the moment; closing with the line, “F- where you from, f- where you goin’, it’s all about where you’re at.” All this fits nicely over an erratic drum line sample, giving the track a sense of liveliness and urgency.  

The same drum sample is featured in the following track “Takyon.” In this context, the rhythm provides an aura of aggressive primal energy as Ride screams about “swerving in a blaze of fire” over knocking synthetic sub bass. Throughout the track, Ride alludes to “feeling it” and likening his experiences to a tachyon, a theoretical subatomic particle which travels faster than the speed of light. Ride is likely using the potent imagery of intense speed and light as an allegory for abusing stimulants.  

To help convey the rebellious punk ethos of the album the track, “Klink,” samples Black Flag’s “Rise Above” coupled fittingly with Ride aggressively vocalizing in pained quarter-note pulses and rapping about resisting arrest and the spiritual degradation one feels when having their rights read to them. 

“Culture shock” is a dystopian anthem about the increasing prevalence of anti-social behavior in modern society as the internet age takes its toll on the minds of future generations. The closing track “Blood Creepin” touches on a soft spot for me as Ride name drops the band Sonic Youth, one of my personal favorite bands.  

Overall, the mix of abrasive sounds, off-kilter rhythms and aggressive vocals is a treat that I will be coming back to for years to come. Any fan of experimental, noisy music with an appetite for punk sensibilities should absolutely check out this record now that it is available on streaming services.