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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt

2003

Wonderful Rainbow

Album Summary

Wonderful Rainbow is the third studio album by noise rock band Lightning Bolt. It is considered to be their most accessible album, featuring heavy but catchy bass guitar riffs and frenetic drums. This album is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, which describes the band as creating "a mix of sheer abuse and welcome diversity, for a truly challenging listening experience".

Wikipedia

Rating

2.43

Votes

5323

Genres

  • Rock
Reviews
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Thu Apr 07 2022
2

I was downloading this as I boarded a plane so I could listen on the flight. It barely completed downloading before the door was shut and we were on our way. Without internet I had no inkling of what it was I was about to listen to. Somewhere over Idaho around the third “song” the plane encountered rough turbulence. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be the last album I hear. The thought started making me giggle. And as the cacophony continued in my headphones the plane bounced more intensely and drinks were spilled and I giggled harder and odd uncomfortable looks were coming my way. If only I could be playing this over the plane’s PA... a vision that turned my giggling into open laughter. If you’re reading this then it would seem I survived both the flight and listening to this album. I was on the verge of awarding this my second ever 1 star rating. Then again, it did manage to give my flight a mad tea party vibe. I also really love the album cover. “Wonderful Rainbow” is a great title against the soundscape it presents. No, this will not be joining my lowest rated album even though I likely will never make it through the whole album ever again.

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

A conversation from the mid-2000s: The White Stripes - "Ooooooo look how much noise we make with only two people." Death From Above 1979 - "But we make even more noise with two people so there!" Lightening Bolt - "Hold my pint..."

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Sun Dec 19 2021
3

Alright, but that's enough of that.

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Fri Aug 19 2022
5

Ridiculously fun and energetic, a missing link between metal and dance. Like throwing a box of firecrackers into a bonfire. One of the best discoveries I've made here, I just wish I'd been into them at the time.

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Thu Jan 06 2022
4

Don't know what it says about me but I'm able to focus on task at while listening to this. I'll listen again along with the genre.

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Thu Feb 03 2022
1

2/10. Probably the least wonderful rainbow I've experienced. It was like someone took the noise of unplugging your earbuds in the middle of a song and made that into a whole damn album. There are definitely some bits where there is a bit of an interesting beat going, but not enough to redeem it in my eyes.

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Fri Jan 07 2022
5

This album was shown to me in 2014 by the weirdest, nicest guy I ever knew in College. Shoutout to you, Pat! A challenging listen at times, but the bass grooves are sick and really get me into a rythym. More accessible than a lot of noise rock haha. It probably should be a four, but I'm rounding up for positive memories and my bias for cool bass.

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Thu Feb 17 2022
5

Love this album. Lightning Bolt are one of the best live bands I've ever seen. Complete chaos. This is probably their best album too.

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Fri Oct 14 2022
5

Incredible. It's like the rhythm is hanging on by a thread and they keep trying to cut it with a saw. Definitely best played loud, but it isn't just noise. There is real music in there. This is what I listen to this list for. Something completely new.

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Wed Jan 05 2022
4

Never heard of them. Went in blind. Ooooh, yeah, vibes. Love this. Instantly reminded of And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. Not sure why you'd bother with the vocal track except as possibly a hint? It's def growing on me. Crown of Thorns had an AC/DC guitar riff vibe to it. Fun! Okay, yep. Def an Elaine album. Certainly not for everyone, but I'm down with a well-done noise rock album for background music.

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Sun Dec 19 2021
5

SHACK has me locked in his bedroom. Help.

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Wed Dec 29 2021
4

I do like me some noise rock. Reminds me of hold your horse is, and they did come out only a year apart I suppose. I really enjoy the chaotic math rock rhythms, but there's some solid guitar work too. Gets a bit repetitive in places but overall good stuff, I was a little surprised it was on the list since it's not that well known and a bit niche

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Wed Jan 05 2022
4

This is bracing for a Tuesday morning. Crazy, inane, frenetic. Not an album I'd ever put on for fun, but a wild ride. I still bear the scars from seeing these guys at All Tomorrow's Parties festival. Not counting the time security made the crowd sit down; those guys are real killjoys.

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Mon Apr 11 2022
4

Equally influenced by jazz as noise and punk. Inventive and brutal.

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Fri Jul 01 2022
4

Sounds like my brain is getting completely disintegrated in an atomic blast... in a good way. You know how people say that metal music makes them feel strong, like they could punch an elephant? This makes me feel like I should go to the nearest gym and ask to get punched in the face by the buffest guy there (again, in a good way).

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Fri Aug 19 2022
4

Despite its label of "noise rock", this album never encourages the listener to tune out. The indistinguishable vocals aid the album in becoming a discordant parody of rock tropes. With enough fresh bizarre riffs and melodies to keep each track distinct from the last, the fun of this album is the chaos it creates, and seeing just what it will throw at you next.

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Thu Sep 29 2022
4

You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Lightning Bolt live. You think this record is noisy, chaotic and heavier than Brendan Fraser in The Whale? This is a mere appetizer for the insanity of a Lightning Bolt show.

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Wed Dec 07 2022
4

SEE YOU IN THE EVENING SEE YOU IN THE DARK SEE YOU IN THE DAYLIGHT AND IN THE BEYOND

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Sun Dec 12 2021
3

Pretty good & heavy. Some rocking tunes but got pretty annoying at times

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Fri Jan 07 2022
3

This kind of noise rock not my cup of tea, but these guys not bad. “2 Towers” was the standout for me.

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Mon Jan 17 2022
3

Kann man das performen ohne die erste Reihe den Genuss eines Amphetamin-Schweiß-Sprinklers zu schenken? Raw 2.5

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Wed Feb 09 2022
3

Was not expecting to see Lightning Bolt, of all bands, on this list. Occasionally locks into a groove that doesn't really go anywhere. It's like if Death From Above 1979 decided to go as un-commercial as possible. When it hits, it's a massive burst of energy in static colors. Favorite tracks: "Dracula Mountain", "Crown of Storms"

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Wed Apr 06 2022
3

Wow. Unique. I thought a two-piece band but bass and drums not guitar and drums? How's that going to sound? Pretty cool actually. It's a lot of noise, which is a bit of a knock. But the bass is absolutely pumping; wouldn't have minded a bit more variety from the drums instead of just bash them as hard and as fast as possible. And just cut out the vocals, if you can call them that. It wouldn't be all the time, but I can see some situations where I'd go back and put this on. I found myself rocking out to 2 Towers on my second listen. I love the bass work on this album; not a lot else. Good offsets the bad, enough for an average rating.

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Wed Apr 06 2022
3

I think calling this noise rock is a bit unfair. The first time I heard this, I started thinking of this as just noise. Now, there are some moments where it does get very repetitive, and a BIT more melody would be more helpful. But as a whole, it's pretty good. A whole album does get a little... on the nerves. A song or two on shuffle is a nice palate cleanser, but 45 minutes worth? Nope.

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Wed Apr 06 2022
3

Insane that this is just bass guitar and drums. There were some cool ideas here, but the charm kinda wears off quick. It's not bad, it just seems very one-dimensional. Worth checking out, though!

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Mon May 23 2022
3

Noise Rock is a different kind of genre, it certainly is not for everybody. I would not place it as one of my favorite genres but I do enjoy this album. "Assassins" feels like a Muse interlude or filler track. It is good it just is all build with no resolve. Honestly that entire sentiment tracks for the album, "2 Towers" is seven minutes of build which is anxiety inducing. The back half of "On Fire" was good minus the vocals on that. "Longstockings" is a great track until the scratchy breakdown at the end and again minus the strange vocal parts. I want to love this album and at the same time I want to hate this album. Some of the noise was a little too much for me and other parts were amazing. It sounds like a lot of different artists most of the time I was getting Muse and I also heard some RHCP elements in there too and some others that I can't place but know. It is also a fairly quietly mixed album and I had to bump up my volume to hear it clearly.

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Wed Jun 15 2022
3

This was.... interesting. Not something I would listen to on my own, but the instrumentation and manipulation of sound is intriguing. Not necessarily my cup of superdupercaffeinated tea... but ... interesting. I definitely didn't hate it.

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Sun Oct 02 2022
3

3.5 - Fine as far as noise rock goes but hardly the most interesting, groundbreaking or truly excellent record of this genre. Dimery seems to have a blind spot for Japanese artists, otherwise Boredoms' "Super Ae" would be a much better noise rock selection that's weirder and more fun. Also more original since it was released 5 years prior to this record.

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Fri Oct 28 2022
3

30 seconds in and I was miserable. How was I going to get through the whole thing? But after about 2 minutes something clicked and I really dug the groove. I like the mix of noise, chaos, metal, dance, and jazz. Moreover, unlike a lot of the more esoteric albums on this list, I feel like these guys are *talented*, *know what they are doing*, and most importantly *are having fun*. That mood really comes out and infects the listener. Don't know if I can go all the way to 4, but I'm in the high 3s for sure. Consider my interest piqued!

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Fri Jan 07 2022
2

2.4 - challenging album to get through. “Crown of Storms” was a standout for me. That said, the album’s heavy, dissonant and lack of melodic sound made it a tough listen. I like bitterness in the right time and place - but I couldn’t eat a whole meal of it. Similarly, I could enjoy one or two of these songs to upend my palate, but I think less is more works best for me here.

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Thu Dec 30 2021
1

A windblown furore of noise. The book describes it as being challenging to listen to. Couldn’t have said it better

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Wed Jan 19 2022
5

In Apple Music unter „Punk“ geführt, rechnete ich bereits wieder mit dem üblichen Schlimmsten. Weit gefehlt. Das ist geil! Und ich bin erst beim vierten Song. Es bleibt auch nach dem zehnten Song dabei. Das ist geil! 2 x laut (!) durchgehört, meine Ohren fiepen. Das ist geil! Wie soll ich heute Nacht pennen?

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Thu Apr 28 2022
5

Like that part on an album when the band are tuning up or something gets unplugged, but thats the entire album... Superb

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Mon Jun 20 2022
5

classoicccccc

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Fri Sep 02 2022
5

One of my favorite band, One of my favorite album. What's good ? It is pure energy. Also try Thumper, a rythm-game made by Brian Chippendale. it's good! Appreciate that it is one of the 1001 best albums.

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Fri Oct 07 2022
5

Never heard of them but what a brilliant band! The mindblowing noise they make with just the two of them. Saw the once brilliant Editors live yesterday and it was boring. only light effects and bombastic stuff. This is the real.deal reminding me.of the dutch noise duo ZZZ.

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Thu Nov 10 2022
5

Strap on your seatbelts, this one rocks!

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Thu Dec 01 2022
5

Ich würde gerne 4 Sterne geben, habe aber irgendwie nichts konkretes an dem Album auszusetzen. Es ist, was es zu sein versucht und sehr gut darin.

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Sun Dec 18 2022
5

Very enjoyable, haven't heard of them before, but enough pop hooks in the noise landscape to keep me entertained. A few surprises, a few good crescendos, a few lingering questions, the most pressing one: why does Dracula Mountain sound like Shellac's squirrels are chasing me? Too noise: 30'000 Monkies; Best Song: Crown of Storms; Fun Song: Dracula Mountain; worth a mention: Duel in the Deep. Production 4/5 Songwriting 2/5 Musicality 3.5/5 Fun Factor 5/5 Nostalgia 5/5 (reminds me of Dÿse)

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Wed Feb 01 2023
5

A very light five out of five very cool

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Fri Feb 24 2023
5

Funny how this album is called Wonderful Rainbow because it is a rather apt description of it's neverending barrage of pummeling velocity that summons you into submission. Yet, for all of its abrasiveness, it is at least mindful enough to not only be headbanging but groovy in its own way. A very 21st Century sort of Sturm und Drang.

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Wed Mar 08 2023
5

Two-piece Drummer and bassist. Like a wildly aggressive White Stripes. Punk AF.

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Thu Mar 09 2023
5

What can I say, I'm a sucker for noise. Loved this.

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Wed Sep 30 2020
4

Noise/math rock.

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Sun Dec 19 2021
4

What a pleasant assault on the ears. I'd love to see these live just to watch the drummer. very tempted to give this a 5 but I think that might be a bit much.

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Sun Jan 23 2022
4

A barrage of sound but I found myself grooving to it. I don't always love noise rock but this was really good. 4/5 stars

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Thu Feb 03 2022
4

Scratched a very specific itch for me. 8/10

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Fri Feb 04 2022
4

If entropy liked rock and could sing, it would sound like this

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Fri Feb 18 2022
4

Completely new to me - never heard of these guys before. Fresh, I liked it

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Sun Feb 27 2022
4

Ça fesse!!! J'ai bien aimé l'expérience! Faut être prêt à écouter ça mais j'ai trouvé ça cohérent, tout les sons et délires que le gars sort d'une bass c'est fou! Bien aimé le drum, bref une découverte et je vais checker leurs autres albums Pas pour tout le temps ni en soupant mais des fois ça fait sortir le méchant !!

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Mon Mar 07 2022
4

wow, die zag ik even niet aankomen! lekkere bak herrie zeg..

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Mon Mar 21 2022
4

I love the density and noisyness of this album.

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Fri Apr 08 2022
4

Very interesting, a lot of noises here

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Fri May 13 2022
4

Toimi yllättävänkin paljon! Ehkä musta tulee kokeellisen rokin ja noisen ystävä!

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Fri Jul 08 2022
4

Sold me on the second track and then fluctuated from there, like Death from above 1979 but less talented. I don't mean that in a negative way either the messier playing really lended itself to the chaos of the instrumentation. I'm feeling a light 4 on this one.

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

Death Grips??????

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Fri Sep 09 2022
4

Well, from the chaos emerges order. Not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, but am I put off by it? No.

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Fri Sep 16 2022
4

I laughed aloud during '30,000 Monkies' when realizing that its wild title so squarely fits its wild sound. My ears enjoyed these noisy creations.

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Mon Nov 07 2022
4

Really enjoyed this

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Wed Nov 09 2022
4

That's utterly crazy, it's quite the opposite of what I like and still it's so damn interesting, I would listen to it again and that's absolutely unexpected considering my taste. I wouldn't say it's one of my favourite until now at all, but still, the surprise sometimes is worth even more. Maybe it's just that I know nothing of the genre but I have never heard anything like this and it's amazing

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Wed Nov 30 2022
4

Excellent en se levant le matin, ça réveille en sale!

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Thu Dec 01 2022
4

No longer in the book. Wasn't that bad tho :D

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Wed Dec 14 2022
4

fireworks explosion in a saucepan factory, here for it

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Wed Jan 04 2023
4

Was not expecting Lightning Bolt to make it here, but good, love them. A-

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Wed Jan 04 2023
4

Liked this one quite a bit. There were a few times where it was too repeat-y, but they were short enough sections that it didn't hamper it overall. 4/5

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Wed Jan 04 2023
4

This was pretty good. It has that characteristic manic Lightning Bolt sound, although seems maybe a little more tame than some of their later stuff.

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Thu Jan 12 2023
4

Quite surprisingly this was pretty a great. Sometimes noise rock can be good. It was catchy and I just needed some noise. This had something that bars like napalm death lacks.

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Fri Jan 13 2023
4

Just what I needed!

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Mon Jan 16 2023
4

This is the weirdest DnB album I've heard, but also the grooviest. Super abrasive and chaotic with underlying rhythmic structure, it reminds me of the peak of an acid trip where your mind goes nuts with only brief moments where you're grounded in reality, only for your mind to slip back into the realm of insane ideas. It's like fast-paced doom metal incorporating elements of classical, prog, punk, and jazz. Honestly, I love nearly every single song. They all flowed from one through the next, and they all took their appropriate time without ever feeling too long or short. Satisfying opener and closer. It's a headache to play the whole thing at once, but it's guaranteed I'll be placing many of these in playlists.

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Wed Feb 01 2023
4

Dissonant, powerful and mesmerizing.

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Mon Feb 13 2023
4

This was another one I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about and ended up liking it a lot! 4/5.

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Mon Feb 13 2023
4

this album is a fire explosion bursting. I think it's great. Not for all occasions and all times but some days i need an album like this.

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Thu Feb 16 2023
4

I've been on a run of classics I've already am familiar with or stuff I'm not interested in. This feels like the first genuine discovery in a while. Just awesome.

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Sun Mar 12 2023
4

Feral and uninhibited. Feels like they wrote this for themselves. Love it in small doses.

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Mon Jan 31 2022
3

This had some really interesting points but in general I find a little bit of the Noise Rock goes a very long way for me. The focalization (particularly the kind of nasally “Captain Beefheart sings The Blimp” only more incomprehensible” stuff I’d had enough of after about two minutes). I suspect it would all be a lot more effective live where the energy of performance could better carry the periodically discordant chaos.

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Thu Feb 03 2022
3

Grating to listen to but I have to admit the drumming was fantastic. 5/10

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Thu Feb 17 2022
3

MAX volume required. As I've said before, I do like noise. 3 good record "Duel In The Deep" kinda hurt my ears though, don't listen to that one. It's sad cause I would've liked that one if it wasn't for the screeching.

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Sun Feb 27 2022
3

Mon genre de challenge. C’est très niché comm style. Ma fille me disait « Mais pourquoi? » en entendant l’album. Parce qu’ils sont capable de le faire! Il y a plusieurs riffs intéressant. C’est demandant comme écoute d’un album au complet, mais c’est le genre d’album que je vais ressortir dans des discussions avec des amis musiciens.

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Sun Feb 27 2022
3

C’est pas une écoute facile ça, mais je suis content de l’avoir fait. Ils ont beaucoup d’énergie. On voit les liens avec Death before 1979.

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Wed Mar 09 2022
3

Kolejny przyklad tego jak lista potrafi odpowiedziec na notatke czlowieka, dwa dni temu niespodziewany traczek od Chicago, ktory mial byc pradziadem noisowego rocka, a dzisiaj dostaje undergrundowy noise na picka, wonderful rainbow jest trzecim krazkiem zespolu, a raczej duetu lighning bolts w ktorego sklad wchodza basista Brian Gibson i drumowy wokalista rowniez Brian, ale Chippendale, chlopaki z wschodniego wybrzeza hameryki, jesli Chicago bylo praszczurem noisa to tutaj jest juz w pelni rozwiniety koncept czystej nieczystosci dzwieku i ogolnego szalenstwa, bo tak najlepiej mozna okreslic takie drumowanie, ktore jest jednak polaczone z basem tak ciezkim jak chwytliwym, ciezko przykladac wage do liryki, bo wydaja sie one improwizowanymi onomatopejami w wiekszosci, z 10 trakow na tych 41 minutach, jedynie dwa sa w miare spokojnie zagranie, to jest otwierajacy hello morning i tytulowy wonderful rainbow, natomiast pozostale 39 minut krazka, to czyste szalenstwo dzwieku jednej gitary i kompletu drumow, nie byl to latwy odsluch, ale jednak wydaje mi sie, ze tak unikalnego brzmienia ciezko bedzie zapomniec, a podobno jest to najbardziej przystepny dla sluchacza material zespolu, wiec co sie musi wyprawiac na reszcie dyskografii, a banda nadal tworzy i podobno ma status kultowej wsrod koneserow noisowego brzmienia, najbardziej plejkowymi trakami sa jak dla mnie dracula mountain i 30k monkies, kolejny ciekawy i odkrywczy albumik listowy

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Mon Mar 14 2022
3

so I have no idea why they named the album this because the last thing I think of is a rainbow its super rough, scratchy instrumentals but actually not bad 3.5

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Thu Apr 21 2022
3

Not my specific cup of tea, but I appreciate the skill behind the music!

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Fri Apr 29 2022
3

Nice to have something that's kind of in my wheelhouse, that I'd not heard of. This was OK but nothing amazing

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Fri May 13 2022
3

Tää oli ekalla kerralla aikoinaan päräyttävämpi kokemus. Mut kyl edelleen toimii. Täytyy arvostaa biisien rakentumista ja tiettyä hienovaraisuutta, vaikkei se ihan päällimmäisenä tule esiin.

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Sun May 22 2022
3

An intense migraine for 41 minutes and 44 seconds. Not as bad as it sounds; well it's better than being bland. Best Tracks: Assassins; Dracula Mountain; Crown of Storms

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Fri Jun 03 2022
3

I was expecting to hate this and surprisingly didn't. Not really something I could listen to for extended periods of time but it was pretty good. 3.5 stars

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Mon Jun 13 2022
3

IT'S VERY NOISY ISN'T IT?! I DID need to hear this before I died. Not sure if a quiet Sunday morning outside was the right time, but I hear you Lightening Bolt.

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Mon Jun 13 2022
3

This album was kind of weird. Some of it was a 4, a lot of it was a 2 at best. It was just all over the place.

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Wed Jul 20 2022
3

This noise rock band is loud, aggressive and in your face. I was surprised to read that it consists of only two members, a drummer and a guitarist. It was also surprising to read that they cite Philip Glass and Sun Ra as influences. But after listening more closely I can hear Glass’ repetitive driving rhythms and Sun Ra’s psychedelic improvisations, all amped up on speed of course. Despite the chaotic onslaught of noise I was surprised at how listenable this was. I won’t seek this out normally but if I’m ever in the mood for some noise this is quite good.

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Wed Jul 20 2022
3

One thing you can be sure of is that no one's ever gonna sue these guys for plagiarism! They're brutal to listen to but I like their attitude, their relentless unlistenable determination and the fact they can create this wall of noise with just a bass and drum kit. Then of course there's the singing.... I'm glad 1001 picked what is considered their most "accessible" album. A step up from Napalm Death.

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Wed Jul 20 2022
3

When I hear this album, the LAST thing that comes to mind are rainbows… i thought I was really going to hate this album, and surprisingly - I didn’t. It is loud and noisy, but there is something interesting about it. I am glad that I got a chance to hear it. I don’t know if I would ever decide to listen to it again one day voluntarily… 3/5.

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Wed Jul 27 2022
3

A little much

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Thu Aug 25 2022
3

I love some noise rock. Low's Hey What way one of my favourite albums of 2021. If this is Lightning Bolt's most accessible album, I feel their fan base would be quite small. The tracks with some good bottom end fuzz and driving distortion laden bass lines were great. The grating high frequency barrage was a bit much at times. I wish I could give it a 2 1/2...

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Thu Sep 08 2022
3

Noise rock. Me ha empezado gustando pero al final se me ha hecho bola. Un 3.

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Mon Sep 19 2022
3

A wonderfully frenetic romp of an LP. Not all melodic attempts here work with the hyper-aggressive instrumentation and delivery, but for the most part this one flies by in a usually enjoyable rush.

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Wed Sep 21 2022
3

nope

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Wed Sep 28 2022
3

Good noise

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Sun Oct 02 2022
3

The definition of Noise Music. Not sure if I like this. Math rock/math metal. The songs are getting more melodic as the album goes on, which has improved my rating.

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Thu Oct 20 2022
3

3.25

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Fri Nov 04 2022
3

6,5

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