LIGHTNING BOLT - Hypermagic Mountain

The dynamic Gibson-Chippendale duo charges back in, fourth outing, same label, same racket. Actually, even more of a racket. After the first listen I start asking myself why every new Lightning Bolt release ends up nailing me to the CD player, the same thing happened with the previous one: at the end of the day it's always the same stuff with slight variations, although the word "slight" isn't exactly at home in Providence.

If "Ride The Skies" is produced (?), more accessible (??), and "Wonderful Rainbow" leans toward denser sonorities, "Hypermagic Mountain" bursts through every levee. It's brutal, saturated, heavy in every sense. By the second listen you barely notice anymore, the mix of melody buried under layers upon layers of near-grind drumming and hyper-distorted bass is irresistible. Without dwelling too much on what's musically necessary in 2005, and regardless of the score I'll give this record, I believe Lightning Bolt were and still are a breath of fresh air. This is music made by the young for the young, no poses, no pretensions, this is rock.

The record's opening is a knockout: "2 Morro Morro Land", "Captain Caveman" and "Birdy" are among the best tracks the celebrated outfit has ever produced. The opening track, in particular, is an explosion in every sense, Gibson borrows the hyper-saturated guitars of the Japanese noisadelic tradition (Les Rallizes Denudes, High Rise, Mainliner) and adds speed-metal velocity to them. Chippendale keeps pounding away like a maniac, it's pure bliss! There is a but, actually two. First, when Lightning Bolt forget they're "simple" rockers and demand too much of themselves, they get heavy-handed.

Melody, however transfigured, distorted, or disguised, remains the fundamental pivot around which the duo's fortunes turn. "Megaghost" is dull, so is "Mohakwindill", and that's 9 minutes of song. Second, though: the album runs too long. Fifty-six minutes, fifty-six, are decidedly too many for a record like this, it's a struggle to reach the end.

Ultimately, a fairly contradictory record: on one hand there are tracks that exalt and embody the best of the Lightning Bolt sound and mindset, on the other an excessive effort (in every sense) not backed up by adequate skill. Put simply, Gibson and Chippendale are terrific songwriters, less so when it comes to pure free-noise. A real shame. Some advice? If you're a fan of the band or this kind of sound, buy it and hit fast-forward every now and then, or just grab "Ride The Skies" and "Wonderful Rainbow" and save yourself the trouble. Oh, and don't miss them live - one of the best live bands I've ever seen!

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30/04/2026