SONIC CITADEL

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.
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.
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.