Fantasy Empire

Genre: goodgoddamnrockandf**kingroll, noise rock

According to Your Imaginary Friend, the "afile could really use a boost of some goodgoddamnrockandf**kingroll”. Lightning Bolt seems to have heard the call and decided to put out an insane, imaginative record. This is the seventh (?) album from the legendary guitar and drums duo based out of Providence, Rhode Island. And by guitar and drums I mean GUITAR and DRUMS because these guys make so much noise you’d never imagine that only two people produced it. One of my favorite records of the year so far.

Favorites: 9, 1, 3, 8, 6, 2, 5. FCCs: Can you hear what on earth he’s saying? I sure can’t.

1. (4:13) ** Totally fucked up bass groove. A maniac is at the wheel and he’s not slowing down.
2. (6:31) ** Fast sludgey rock (I guess that describes the whole album…). Changes gears midway through to an epic, psychedelic stomp. The last minute of this thing just rips.
3. (4:43) ** Groovy, blown out. Head-nodding freak out in studio A type music.
4. (3:57) Vocals are a little easier to make out. Stop-start rhythm. Ends with some fuzz.
5. (5:11) ** Oh yeah big big tribal drums. Bursts into mini spazzy noise breakdowns. Then an awesome ascending guitar scale out of nowhere that leads to absolute bedlam.
6. (4:39) ** Tremendous. Getaway car music for the Joker…aka “Runaway Train”, what an apt name.
7. (1:16) Searing…queasy reversed layers…cool lead in to next track.
8. (6:21) ** Punishing, grimy. This thing is RELENTLESS. God I just want to play the whole album on my next show.
9. (11:21) **** Spacey…slow. Stoner rock drums. Bounds into a roaring groove with vocals that mirror the first track. Euphoric.