Music Review : Lightning Bolt – Fantasy Empire (2015)

Music Review : Lightning Bolt – Fantasy Empire (2015, Thrill Jockey)

The noise rock duo of Lightning Bolt has done it again for a seventh time with their new album Fantasy Empire.

Playing with high intensity and fast tempos it is at first almost exhausting to listen to their music. With the subsequent listening, Fantasy Empire rises to another level and becomes more than just noise rock played with by ADD kids. It makes a coherent piece that elevates noise and rock together to a form that is not only an interesting experiment.

The drums of Brian Chippendale are fast and omnipresent as their snare kick are fulfilling the space and time of every song. On the other side, Brian Gibson’s bass guitar is heavy and crunchy. Chippendale’s vocals are tortuous and have an urgency few rock vocalists have achieved before.

Fantasy Empire is one of the very good albums of the year since 2015 might be the year of noise as the rising genre of the year. Since last year was stoner the noise element is a logical evolution of music.

7.9

Music Review : Viet Cong – Viet Cong (2015)

Music Review : Viet Cong – Viet Cong (2015, Jagjaguwar)

Playing noise rock, art rock, post-punk, indie rock, well rock infused with all those labels, Viet Cong’s self titled record goes and flows in seven songs with a sad hook like early Interpol or 1980’s The Cure. Only the noise element makes it a 2015 album because let’s face it if 2014 was the culmination of the return of stoner rock with Mastodon, Yob, Pallbearer, this year is a noise one with Lightning Bolt and Viet Cong.

Coming from Calgary, Viet Cong, the ex-Women, constructed a contemporary classic that has many grand moments that transcends traditional rock. Sometimes a label fits a particular sound or another texture here and there but mostly the proposition gives a breath of fresh air to modern rock that has been hermetic to evolution since pop and dream-pop has taken some of its stage.

Their experimentation in genres and musical styles hace many of the aforementioned names but also reminds of a little band from England called The Beatles with their more psychedelic phases.

All in all, Viet Cong’s self titled album has something to say and might satisfy many ears.

8.0