review by: Roberto Martinelli

Not to be confused with Thunderbolt (also reviewed in this issue), Lightning Bolt is a math rock duo from Rhode Island whose instruments apparently are only bass and drums.

If correct, that’s pretty impressive, considering what the two members get out of these instruments. Lightning Bolt has quite a few similarities to Hella, one of our favorite math rock bands, (read the review of Hella in issue #10) in that much of their music is so whacked out and technical and fast. Imagine 100 modems dialing up and connecting in time with each other, and then speed that up times four, and you’re starting to get the picture.

But unlike Hella, it’s not all showoff technicality all the time. Lightning Bolt has a good bit of slower, crushing sludge parts. You could sort of argue that it’s all pretty sludgy, as Lightning Bolt is very noisy and feedback-ridden and distorted and screechy, but in a way that’s technically impressive. There are vocals too, but they’re thin and warped, like if you were trying to hear someone through an electric sandstorm. Certainly for math rock people, or for anyone who appreciates totally masterful, off the cuff drumming. (7/10)