Number 20: Hypermagic Mountain by Lightning Bolt
Release: October 18th, 2005
Genre: Noise Rock
Favorite Tracks: Captain Caveman, Dead Cowboy, 2 Morro Morro Land
Where I heard it:
My extensive history with rock and roll has led me to some pretty niche areas within the genre. I had a phase in high school where I revolved around classic death metal bands like Cannibal Corpse and Cryptopsy. This was eventually succeeded by an even more brutal deathcore phase that introduced me to groups like Job For A Cowboy and Whitechapel. After high school, my taste for the extreme became slightly more refined, seeking out prog metal and djent acts like Meshuggah and Car Bomb. This gradual process of discovery was motivated by my own morbid fascination with exploring the depths of recorded music for what I could consider the 'heaviest' product. I wanted to know exactly where that limit existed on the sonic plane. Around 2018, I was able to formulate a satisfactory answer to my curiosity. Upon the release of the newly revamped installment of Rock Band 4 in 2015, I religiously chased high scores and full combos on the game's on-disc setlist, harkening back to my days as a kid playing Guitar Hero III. I became well-acquainted with the music of Rock Band 4, particularly with one track that stood in the way of my pursuit toward in-game perfection: Dream Genie by Lightning Bolt. My fret fingers simply could not keep up with the quick flurry of notes that flew down the highway, prompting me to replay the song for hours on end until either my fingers or my brain couldn't take it anymore. I was highly active in Rock Band 4 for about five years, and like many of its previous installments, I was left a treasure trove of material from bands I'd never heard of or were less familiar with to listen to. My stark hatred of Dream Genie from a gameplay perspective held me back from deep diving Lightning Bolt's catalog for years, but I couldn't deny the appeal the song had in relation to my personal tastes, and my inquisitive mind just had to give this musical anomaly a peek. Years later, Lightning Bolt has risen through the ranks and emerged as one of my favorite modern bands, if not all-time. Their music is...well, it's close to not. And there's just something I adore about that.
I've been flying
I've been Superman
I'm trapped down here on Bizarro Land
Someone get my friends in Jupiter
Cause down here humans can't get stupider
~ Bizarro Zarro Land
What to expect:
Before you can even begin to analyze the frenzied arrangements of the band, it's worth it to first take a look at the artists behind the music. Lightning Bolt boasts two of the most imaginative and unorthodox musicians I've ever seen, and they both just happen to be named Brian. Brain Gibson handles all things guitar, fashioning a five-string bass guitar with two restrung banjo strings to achieve a dichotomy in sound between deep bass notes and twangy slides. In addition, Gibson uses a variety of pedals to modulate the effects of his guitar, allowing for an array of squeals and squeaks to play with. Brain Chippendale is substantially more flamboyant in both his appearance and play style on drums, which derives from the minimalism of his unique setup. Chippendale rids any unnecessary bells and whistles from his kit, electing to play a stripped-down kit comprised of a snare, bass, hi-hat, and two ride cymbals. That's it. As for the most peculiar element of his performance, Chippendale also provides complementary vocals that at best resemble sensible lyrics, and at worst boil down to a series of hoops and hollers. These interjections are masked deep within the mix, thanks to a literal mask that Chippendale shoddily attaches to his face that allows for hands-free usage. In lieu of a traditional mic stand, Chippendale is wired through a contact mic ripped straight from a payphone, then plugged into an amp that horribly distorts and delays the vocal track. Think that's enough modifications? Think again. Lightning Bolt are famous in live settings for their guerilla-style concerts, placing the band directly in the middle of the action by surrounding themselves with rabid and rambunctious fans. Without having played a single note, Lightning Bolt has established their hardcore status through the sheer power of stage presence alone. Once they get going, it's truly a spectacle to behold. Gibson and Chippendale only know how to play music two ways: fast and loud. Breakneck speeds are standard precedent for Lightning Bolt, especially featured in Chippendale's frantic and eclectic drumming. It's actually mind-blowing the amount of noise these two can make with limited capabilities. To the untrained ear, a typical song from Lightning Bolt may appear as nothing more than garbled nonsense; compositional vomit that chaotically spews from the amps. Admittedly, most of Lightning Bolt's library can be a complicated mess when things start to go off the rails. A closer listen will derive a staggering amount of substance and theory knowledge within any given track. meticulously arranging each passage into something comprehensible. The level of focus it takes to remain locked in through the disorder is nothing short of astounding, and Lightning Bolt practically reside exclusively within this environment. Embedded in the madness lies a carefully executed method that manages to produce engrossing soundscapes which pull you under the riptide for a wild ride, then spit you back ashore. Lightning Bolt is an immersive music experience unlike any other I've managed to find. The challenge is daunting, but the reward is a philosophical product that encourages the listener to really ponder what they've just listened to.
He's gonna bathe in a river of blood
He wants to party till the wheels fall off
Six feet underground
What the world needs
Is another dead cowboy
~ Dead Cowboy
Why it's my favorite:
I've gone on this whole time and I've still yet to introduce today's entry, Hypermagic Mountain. I do so intentionally not to belittle this extravagant album, but rather to look introspectively at the reverence I have for the entirety of Lightning Bolt. There are subtle differences among the discography that chart the progression of the band's growth as musicians throughout their careers, but the essence of their sound boils down to the same core principles of copious noise. I've been a bit embarrassed to share Lightning Bolt with others because of this caveat; the stimulation can be quite jarring for those with more contemporary music preferences. However, I've diligently studied the tendencies of this group's subtle genius, mostly as personal justification for my love of Lightning Bolt. Very rarely have I brought into consideration the viability of a group based on the definition of music. When I do, it's generally to argue that a song is poorly written. Lightning Bolt was the first band that made me question where the boundary for musical enjoyment existed, or what even qualified as music in general. What makes a song good? Does a series of unintelligible sounds count as a song? Granted, albums like Hypermagic Mountain definitively hold merit as music, but there's still moments that devolve into muddled confusion before snapping out of it. I've been transfixed at the microcosm of these moments throughout the catalog of Lightning Bolt, polling others in search of an answer. I've reached the conclusion that acts like Lightning Bolt blur the line between art and music, two shared concepts often conjoined into one medium. Lightning Bolt is the abstract art of the musical landscape, creating amorphous material that aims to evoke emotion and meaning from the beholder. Their form of musical expression is unparalleled, putting forth something into the world that hadn't been there before. Perhaps I'm misguided in my musings, and Lightning Bolt really aren't the savants that I take them as. However, the impression they've left upon me will forever have me coming back for more. I highly recommend you take a listen to Hypermagic Mountain with open ears and an open mind. It might take a few replays for it to click, but you may find a love for Lightning Bolt just like I did.
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