Grit is the impish child of courage and determination. It takes great tenacity to endure life’s unpredictable tides. Grain by grain artist gizmo has built a castle from sand, now reflecting on his perseverance and spine. His latest album, GRIT, scrapes through open wounds and crawls around cadavers while never ceasing in energy.
A Rhode Island native with a larger history of work than can fit in his state, gizmo has come a long way since his SoundCloud beginnings in 2011. GRIT is his first project of of 2019, having ending the past year with a memorial EP, BALOO. Less hip-hop and more metal than BALOO, GRIT kicks the ferocity up to ravaging levels without letting go of rapping rhythms. Filth, carnage, and insanity permeate each song, leaving a trail of grime behind listeners’ ringing ears.
The new album’s eleven tracks range in vocal growl and intensity of delivery. “Transformation” (prod. Xisrupt) is a strongly titled introductory song, letting us know in no quiet manner that change is brewing. If the album’s cover is a projected character of a part of gizmo’s psyche, then it’s likely in this song where he transforms. Self-admission of eccentricity comes out in “Freakazoid” (prod. MUTANT JOE), followed by a scorching hot, chain-weighted walk through the desert in “Bloody Throat” (prod. Purpdogg).
A story unfolds in “Body Bag” (prod. Brvd), where gizmo gives warning to those that think they can hide behind a screen: “Bitch boy, be careful what you write, when you tweet the shit it’s real, you could get your ass beat.” That enraged energy carries into “Desolate” (prod. amertume). It’s a truly immersive experience, especially the introductory instrumental. Like it’s antecedent “Cut Out” (prod. xerogi), one can feel the bloodshed splatter across their forehead and the brutal butchering of anything that stands in progress’s way.
“Catastrophic “(prod. Ghostrage) is the album’s most streamed song (read more about it here). Featuring earthy, eerie vocals from Saphir, it’s an ideal crossover of timbres and genres.
A music video for “Suicide Note” (prod. xerogi) is GRIT’s debut insidious visual. It’s foreboding, evoking creeping sensations like “the spider in your basement.” Ritualistic, ominous imagery infests the screen. It’s a stark contrast to the album’s following, most downtempo tune, “Look in My Eyes” (prod. Es – Garden). Here we hear a slightly softer version of gizmo mourning in a manner other than destructive. Rather than anger, we hear sadness, developing a more humanized relationship with listeners.
A chase ensues in “Mind Maze” (prod. renob). The pace quickens, heart rates rise, and proverbial shots are fired. He references gremlins and trolls, the same grotesque horrors that are ripped apart and dismembered throughout GRIT. Finally, “Broken Bones” (prod. xerogi) signals the end of the battle, with a victor’s cautionary advice: “If you do me wrong I’ll fucking leave you faceless.”
There’s a clear message in GRIT about domination and annihilation. But there’s a subtler one too. By working hard, cutting out what doesn’t serve you, and having clear and ambitious goals, the path to success is more easily paved. Shake up your mental and listen to GRIT here.