Earthly Delights
Distant cousin to the Melvins and Melt Banana, Lightning Bolt differ in their take on aggressive-and-loud by leaving out the guitar in favor of battling it out with bass and drums, gladiator style. In truth, the word “battle” only applies sporadically, as drummer Brian Chippendale and bassist Brian Gibson often achieve their noise nirvana by locking together in one sludgy, viscous groove. The harmony created between the combative assault of Chippendale’s drums and the mauling of Gibson’s bass guitar (eccentrically tuned, stringed and running through various effects) is a dangerous thing, carving a bottomless channel like some kind of bulldozing behemoth under the influence. The distorted, repetitious bassline of “Nation of Boar” and the churning, rattling, bottom-heavy roar of “Sound Guardians” and “The Sublime Freak” drive deep into your skull, while the lysergically colored “Flooded Chamber” and “Rain On Lake I’m Swimming In” remind us that the Bolt are basically masters of psychedelia, altering the dosage as needed. Chippendale’s indecipherable vocals and Gibson’s wonderful, furious noodling on tracks like “Funny Farm” bring humor into the mix.
Thrill Jockey is pleased to announce the deluxe reissue of Lightning Bolt's Earthly Delights. This is the first chance to pre-order the limited-edition double lp on Root Beer-colored wax! Artwork designed by Brian Chippendale with fully artworked inner sleeves. Originally released in 2009, Earthly Delights is classic and essential Lightning Bolt. Earthly Delights marked a major leap in the duo’s sound, elevating the low-end range without dropping any of the ferocious energy. The album is bathed in delicious rippling distortion with Brian Gibson’s thundering bass sounds carrying the day, as ever propelled by Brian Chippendale’s drum flurries. Think Black Sabbath with Rashied Ali on drums and you’re part-way there. An absolute essential and the limited root beer will not be sticking around long if our other Lightning Bolt reissues are anything to go by.
On their first LP in four years, Lightning Bolt offer a record in which most tracks center around growling chords and monolithic beats.
The ear-bleeding rockers have learned how to marry noise to songs, says <strong>Chris Campion</strong>
Odds are better than good that if you've clicked on this link, you already know whether or not you want this record.
Lightning Bolt - Earthly Delights review: More rumblings from the Rhode Island duo.