Derek™ Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 (edited) OCTOBER 11TH I know that pre-orders for the newest Lightning Bolt were met with hushed enthusiasm (over in this thread), but we got a fresh single and I'm too hyped so it's getting its own thread. For those late to the party, there's currently only limited edition to chase down. A magenta pink, as shown above. https://lightningbolt.bandcamp.com https://thrilljockey.com/products/sonic-citadel Media Mail wasn't an option at Thrill Jockey when I went to place my order, so I opted for a Bandcamp copy. They may have added it since then, though. Your results could vary. Either way; $20 for a double LP, before shipping, is just nutty. About the album: Quote Lightning Bolt play with abandon that is unmatched and remarkably undiluted since the duo’s formation 25 years ago. They are often called one of the loudest rock outfits in existence, both on record and on (or famously, off) the stage. 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. The pummeling “Blow To The Head” and swirling “Van Halen 2049” bookend the album with two of the most ferocious songs in the band’s catalogue, with the former built as a Black Pus (Brian Chippendale’s solo outlet) track on steroids. In stark contrast, songs like “Don Henley In The Park,” and “All Insane” take on almost conventional pop shapes despite being entirely spontaneous pieces crafted in the studio. “Hüsker Dön’t” too defies expectations as one of the poppiest songs in their discography with a chugging but clear chord progression and some of Chippendale’s least distorted vocals. These wildly varying approaches are a testament to the duo’s immeasurable capacity to explore new sonic territory organically, and largely through improvisation. 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. Edited August 16, 2019 by Derek™ DoublesGuy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecayToDeath Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 ⭐️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 7 minutes ago, DecayToDeath said: ⭐️ You check out Air Conditioning yet? I had no idea what to expect but it managed to impress. The jump in production is noticeable but it feels like it's got just as much grit and bite as anything else they've ever done. I sort of feel the "pop" angle that the writeup references – the stretch at 2:47 has been stuck in my head all day... which is a bizarre thing to admit about a Lightning Bolt song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaitouG Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 (edited) 41 minutes ago, DecayToDeath said: 🌩️ Edited August 16, 2019 by KaitouG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shitty Rambo Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 New jam has a lot of vocals and structure and it's not at all what I turn to LB for 😕 Derek™ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 15 minutes ago, Shitty Rambo said: New jam has a lot of vocals and structure and it's not at all what I turn to LB for 😕 You are legitimately not going to enjoy this one, then, if that article is to be believed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 I take it back. Sounds like the opener and closing track will at least be right up your alley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltagedrop Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 Looks like there's only 21 copies of magenta left at Thrill Jockey (also still available at Bandcamp). Wonderful Rainbow reissue sold out on both sites. thetrackt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youspinmeround Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 New song dropped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted September 19, 2019 Author Share Posted September 19, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyEnemy Posted September 19, 2019 Share Posted September 19, 2019 On 9/16/2019 at 7:38 AM, voltagedrop said: Looks like there's only 21 copies of magenta left at Thrill Jockey (also still available at Bandcamp). Wonderful Rainbow reissue sold out on both sites. Goddamnit, I’m such a moron. Hopefully these show up at retail for on Discogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluxeSlip Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 For anybody who missed out on the magenta variant from Thrill Jockey, there are apparently green variants available from a few different retailers: http://www.resident-music.com/productdetails&product_id=64947 https://www.normanrecords.com/records/178391-lightning-bolt-sonic-citadel https://beartreerecords.com/products/lightning-bolt-sonic-citadel-2xlp?variant=28496972513346 There is also a blue variant available from Bull Moose: https://www.bullmoose.com/p/31952806/lightning-bolt-sonic-citadel-blue-vinyl-2lp-blue-vinyl-w-download-card I just now snagged a copy of the blue variant myself. Love both of the singles - really looking forward to hearing the rest of the album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youspinmeround Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 By far the bands most experimental and varied album to date...8/10 after 2 listens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecayToDeath Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 18 hours ago, youspinmeround said: By far the bands most experimental and varied album to date...8/10 after 2 listens Awesome, looking forward to hearing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoublesGuy Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/27/2019 at 11:05 PM, youspinmeround said: By far the bands most experimental and varied album to date...8/10 after 2 listens Did it leak? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 25 minutes ago, DoublesGuy said: Did it leak? Leaked in 320 over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bortx Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 Soooo looking forward to this, they never disappoint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Yeah, this was everything I was hoping it’d be and then some. On first listen, anyway. Love how they retained a lot of their monstrous volume and grime but managed to slip in a surprising amount of melody. I get what that writeup meant when it said that this is the closest they’ve come to a “pop” record, or whatever. Big Banger goes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conedust Posted October 1, 2019 Share Posted October 1, 2019 Got a shipping notice for the magenta this morning, spontaneously soiled a stuffed animal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecayToDeath Posted October 3, 2019 Share Posted October 3, 2019 Holy shit this blew away my expectations, especially that closing track.....I regret waiting until it leaked to pre-order a copy, seeing as how the magenta is gone now; hopefully one turns up on Discogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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