Lightning Bolt - Hypermagic Mountain (Load)
In my review of Wonderful Rainbow, Lightning Bolt’s last full-length release, I mentioned more than once that the duo were following the same path they had tread down before, albeit with some minor deviations along the way. The band are loved and hated for this facet of their songwriting, for every person who seems invigorated by the full-bore attack of a Lightning Bolt album, there’s another who complains that the band’s been stuck in a rut for years. I’d still consider myself more a member of the former group, though, after some time spent with Hypermagic Mountain, I find myself making more concessions to the viewpoint of the latter.
It’s not that Hypermagic Mountain is a bad album, nor that Lightning Bolt have lost their touch. Some tracks, like “2 Morro Morro Land,” are just as energizing and exciting as some of the duo’s best work. I, find, however, that much of the new offering offers little new to the seasoned Lightning Bolt listener. There’s an increased musical manifestation of the crudely crafted psychedelia that adorns the duo’s visuals, especially in the delay used copiously on Brian Chippendale’s vocals, and the fluorescent sludge of the album’s most unhinged moments. But whereas the last two Lightning Bolt albums, through grinding inertia and eminently hummable melodies, kept toes tapping and the mind thoroughly engaged, Hypermagic Mountain is sometimes wanting in both departments, and doesn’t imbed itself so easily into the folds of the listener’s brain.
Lest I sound too negative, there’s no denying that Hypermagic Mountain is a worthwhile album; Lightning Bolt fans will still find plenty here to enjoy. But, it seems far too easy to feel indifferent about the album, and after such a strong pair of releases, Hypermagic Mountain does come off as a bit of a let down. Whether Lightning Bolt are making progress is up for debate, but, even if they’re running in place, they’re still more active than many of their fellow travelers.
