Lightning Bolt
special guest TBA
Lightning Bolt play with abandon that is unmatched and remarkably undiluted since the
duo’s formation 25 years ago. Brian Gibson creates sounds
that are unexpected and remarkably varied with his virtuosic bass playing and his inventive
approach to the instrument, centered around melody rather than rhythm. The dizzying fury
of Brian Chippendale’s drums twist from primal patterns into disorienting break beats as
his distorted, looped, and echoing vocals weave more melody into the mayhem. Amidst
the fray there has always been shreds of a pop songs discernible in the eye of every
Lightning Bolt song. For their seventh full length, Sonic Citadel, Gibson and Chippendale
have done the daring, stripping away some of the distortion mask to reveal the naked pop
forms as never before. Their relentless energy, inventiveness and, unrestrained joy still drive
their songs, pulling you in and compelling you to bounce and yes, even sing along.
Over their career Lightning Bolt’s incomparable sound has been built on the ebb and flow
between the power of raw, unbridled simplicity and a boundless, childlike sense of wonder.
Sonic Citadel marks the duo’s most varied and diverse work since their seminal album
Wonderful Rainbow, exploring a large breadth of emotions between and within each song.
Gibson and Chippendale again recorded with Seth Manchester at the esteemed Machines
With Magnets to capture the abandon of their music with clarity and Gibson’s incredible
dynamic range clearly to make the record as visceral an experience as their live
performances.
For the bulk of Lightning Bolt’s work together, they have slowly molded improvised jams
which sometimes take years to develop on the road. The song “Halloween 3” may sound
familiar to fans who have seen the band live in the last 15 years, and is named after a
popular video of the duo performing an early version of the song. Sonic Citadel, however,
also prominently features songs which began as solo recordings, be it a Black Pus 4-track
recording or a series of looped bass figures from Gibson. In the four years between album
releases, each member’s increasingly prolific creative endeavors limited their time to
create together. Brian Gibson was the sole artist, musician and co-designer of the
acclaimed video game Thumper, which has since proliferated across a multitude of
platforms, and won countless awards including the 2019 Apple Design Award. Brian
Chippendale, who has always created the band’s visual art, released the graphic novel
Puke Force, was included in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time,” and
recently collaborated with fashion designers Eckhaus Latta. Coupled with their consistent
touring, as well as Chippendale recently becoming a father, the duo took the challenge of
their time constraints head on as a compositional tool. By keeping some songs more direct
and focusing on their central ideas, the duo managed to increase the overall intensity of
their music while leaving space to for the songs to breath and stretch out live.
The impact that Lightning Bolt has had on underground music since its inception is
immense, and remains pervasive beyond any genre tag that has been attached to them.
Sonic Citadel is the work of band unafraid to challenge themselves, unbound by
expectations, joyfully defiant, and possessed of the same inventive curiosity which set
them apart on day one and is unmatched still 25 years later.
photo by by Nick Sayers
