Lightning Bolt - Earthly Desires

When growing up, I never heard a complaint from my parents about the “noise” emanating from my room. Although such an objection would’ve simply led to the response that my Dad had only himself to blame for my love of Metallica, Slayer and Iron Maiden as a youngin’.

Had I been a teenager in 2009 and say someone at school had placed Lightning Bolt’s ‘Earthly Delights’ into my grubby, chubby little hands, complaints would’ve not only come rolling in thick and fast from downstairs, but anyone of a parental age within a three block radius would’ve joined the witch-hunt against the great wall of angry noise breaking from the bedroom windows. And even for that reason alone, it's hard not to love Lightning Bolt.

For those not acquainted with Rhode Island duo’s sound, they’re probably best described using the terms thrown into the ring when heavy metal is being digested by those who care very little for the genre. It's noisy, without melody, repetitive, angry and completely nonsensical. And in Lightning Bolt’s case, such relatively simplistic characterisation is spot on.

Earthy Delights is by and large Lightning Bolt’s most metal influenced release to date. Where before they revelled in the experimentation of noise and space, this album is far more concise and focussed with heaviness-hypnosis the key this time round. Album opener ‘Sound Guardians’ still retains the band's chaotic charm but where they poured their energy into that chaos on 2003's lauded Wonderful Rainbow, here they seem to be reigning it in just a touch, letting the riffs puff out their chests and have a little more to say for themselves. And the same goes for the rest of the album, all the way up to 12-minute album closer ‘Transmissionary’, which on my last count features only 4 different riffs. Though said riffs are huge, dizzying, life affirming, and at times all at once.

To go into the specifics of what comes between the two tracks would be a disservice to what drives Earthly Delights into your skull. Part of the joy of listening to Lightning Bolt is the element of surprise that rests uncomfortably on the shoulders of every track they produce and who is Ragged Words to rob anyone of such a pleasure/pain experience. So if you have even the slightest fondness for distorted guitars, nonsensical time signatures and surprises, give Earthly Delights a spin. And if you love melodies, pop-hooks and simplicity, give Earthly Delights a spin… if only to piss off your parents, flatmates and neighbours. Go on, be a rebel, because that’s what Lightning Bolt want you to be.