Lightning Bolt

Lightning Bolt zaps 1.21 gigawatts of face-melting noise straight into your temporal lobes. The Rhode Island duo are known to eschew the stage in favor of playing on the floor, surrounded by the audience. (In interviews, the band refers to this practice as “the eye of the storm.”) With an oddly configured bass, an array of effects pedals and a beat-up drum kit, Lightning Bolt issues severe blasts of sound, the kind usually reserved for darker-themed genres. Brian Gibson treats spectators to the rare marvel of bass shredding, while Brian Chippendale’s precise, showy drum work is enthralling in its own right. The music can be punishing, but its elements appeal to even the mild-mannered listener.