Band are quitting now they're 'at their best'
Andrew Trendell

08:43 3rd July 2014

 Industrial hip-hop rockers Death Grips have announced their sudden split - to the shock of their hardcore fans and much to the annoyance of Trent Reznor. 

Known for being unpredictable, Zach Hill, Stefan Burnett, and Flatlander, announced their breakup with a handwritten note online - explaining that they still plan to release their final double album, but cancelling all upcoming tour dates (including supporting Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden on upcoming dates).

The note read: 

"We are now at our best and so Death Grips is over. We have officially stopped. All currently scheduled live dates are canceled. Our upcoming double album the powers that b will still be delivered worldwide later this year via Harvest/Third Worlds Records. Death Grips was and always has been a conceptual art exhibition anchored by sound and vision. Above and beyond a “band”. To our truest fans, please stay legend.”

 Trent Reznor then took to Twitter to post: 

Watch the video for 'No Love' by Death Grips below

Death Grips released five albums over its short five-year career, but made headlines for their chaotic live shows, cancelled tours and tumultuous relationship with Epic Records. 

Below: Trent Reznor's 12 angriest rants

  • The Grammys: Yes, Mr Reznor's most recent headline-grabbing rant was against the 2014 Grammy Awards for cutting short his performance with Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Lindsay Buckingham. Taking to Twitter he posted: "Music's biggest night... to be disrespected. A heartfelt FUCK YOU guys."

  • Reading and Leeds Festival (and Biffy Clyro): Before a very, very tense set at Reading Festival 2013 before the Biff headlined, Mr Reznor voiced his bile on Twitter by posting: "Should be an unusual show tonight at Reading...the lying promoter and the band following us (whoever the fuck they are) fucked us on our production."

  • Fred Durst: Unsurprisingly, Reznor has little time for the red-capped Nu-Metal spud or the 'music' of Limp Bizkit. Speaking to Kerrang in the year 2000, Reznor said: "I want to try to get the word out. This band might just make you realise that Limp Bizkit sucks...It's one thing if you know your place, like, 'Hey, I'm an idiot who plays shitty music, but people buy it, fuck it, I'm having fun'. But it's another thing when you think you're David Bowie after you've stayed up all night to write a song called 'Break Stuff'. I mean, Fred Durst probably spelt the word 'break' wrong the first couple of times...Fred Durst might be a cool guy, I don't know him. But his 'art' - in the word's loosest sense - sucks."

  • Courtney Love: Yes, Mr Reznor has longstanding dislike of the Hole frontwoman (and he's not alone). In the video for 'Starsuckers Inc', directed by Marilyn Manson, Reznor literally takes aim at Love alongside the likes of Billy Corgan and Michael Stipe. Explaining the video to Kerrang, Reznor once said: "I don't have a problem with Billy Corgan or Stipe or any of the people in the video, with the exception of Courtney Love. We had a fantastic time with the Courtney thing because Manson and I share a mutual hatred of her."

  • Marilyn Manson: Reznor and Manson were once close friends after the NIN man produced his debut album and took him on tour and under his wing. However, they've enjoyed a tumultuous relationship since, telling Spinner in 1999: "He is a malicious guy and will step on anybody's face to succeed and cross any line of decency. Seeing him now, drugs and alcohol now rule his life and he's become a dopey clown. He used to be the smartest guy in the room. And as a fan of his talents, I hope he gets his shit together."

  • The Grammys...again: Back in 2012, Reznor Tweeted: "The Grammys make me hate music, and certainly everyone in the ass-licking music industry."

  • Soundwave Festival: Nine Inch Nails were rumoured to be returning to play Australia's Soundwave Festiva in 2014 alongside the likes of Green Day and Korn, before organisers said he turned it down because he'd gone 'mainstream' and was trying to be Justin Timberlake. Reznor responded: "I'm trying to make the best music I can, hoping that it is expansive and challenging. That got misconstrued into I'm trying to be %u2013 what was it? 'Justin Timberlake'? A better way of saying it is, 'I think your bill sucked and I'd rather not be on that bill'."

  • His record label: In 2011 when a reissue of his classic Pretty Hate Machine was due for release, Reznor tweeted: "NIN fans, don't waste your money on this version of PHM that was just released..It's very similar to the original release. This is not a remastered release...It's a record label bullshit move repackaging the old version. Ignore please".

  • Apple: Despite claiming "the iPhone is THE most elegant, modern smartphone at this point in time," Reznor took to NIN's official forum in 2009 to say: "You can buy The Downward F****** Spiral on iTunes, but you can't allow an iPhone app that may have a song with a bad word somewhere in it. Geez, what if someone in the forum in our app says F*** or C***? I suppose that also falls into indecent material. Hey Apple, I just got some SPAM about f****** hot Asian teens THROUGH YOUR MAIL PROGRAM. I just saw two guys having explicit anal sex right there in Safari! On my iPhone! Come on Apple, think your policies through and for f***'s sake get your app approval scenario."

  • Kickstarter: Speaking to Spin last year about fan-funding, Reznor said: "I know that what we're doing flies in the face of the Kickstarter Amanda-Palmer-Start-a-Revolution thing, which is fine for her, but I'm not super-comfortable with the idea of Ziggy Stardust shaking his cup for scraps. I'm not saying offering things for free or pay-what-you-can is wrong. I'm saying my personal feeling is that my album's not a dime. It's not a buck. I made it as well as I could, and it costs 10 bucks, or go fuck yourself."

  • Smashing Pumpkins: When NME asked him about the recently 'reformed' Smashing Pumpkins in 2007, Reznor replied: "I was never a big Smashing Pumpkins fan back when they were the Pumpkins, not to shit on Billy (Corgan) or anything but I don't hear anything that would make me want to care. I think trying to resurrect the name Smashing Pumpkins... it's all a bit corporate for me."

  • George W Bush: When Bush was re-elected in 2004, Reznor was among the millions who were not best pleased, spitting: "One step closer to the end of the world. The one-two combo of corporate greed and organized religion apparently proved to be too much for reason, sanity and compassion."


Photo: Press