Fantasy Empire
by Lightning Bolt
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 20
  3. Negative: 2 out of 20
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  1. Lovdahl
    Mar 24, 2015
    9
    One of Lightning Bolt's best records. Equal parts hypnotic, groovy, intense, and noisy. The Brians make some really dynamic sounds with what they bring to the studio; in particular, the bass guitar sounds excellent. Really enjoyable noise rock music in 2015.
  2. Peacebone
    Jun 18, 2015
    8
    Maybe this is not such a creative and revolutionary album but Lightning Bolt still got it. Amazing songs with pure raw energy. for the next Lightning Bolt album: I hope there would be a new way to feature that energy but in a more creative way.
  3. Custom_Concerns
    May 3, 2015
    6
    Fantasy Empire presents an entertaining sound, but the repetitiveness of the songwriting makes it a listen that gets old much faster than its presentation deserves.
  4. Petrocelli
    Apr 4, 2015
    4
    If you like really loud guitars and dissonance, this album is for you. If you don't, listen to Kendrick Lamar or Sufjan Stevens or Courtney Barnett, and thank to good Lord that you can delete this album after listening to it for 10 minutes on Spotify.
  5. DRauchDoes2015
    Jun 14, 2015
    7
    I'm still amazed by just how much sound this two-piece can muster with only guitar and drums. They make larger, lesser metal groups seem like a superfluous amassing of musicians. I love the crunch and distortion on the guitar licks, they set everything in their path ablaze and boil my blood like few albums this year. The drumming is blisteringly intense, unrelentingly frantic, and variedI'm still amazed by just how much sound this two-piece can muster with only guitar and drums. They make larger, lesser metal groups seem like a superfluous amassing of musicians. I love the crunch and distortion on the guitar licks, they set everything in their path ablaze and boil my blood like few albums this year. The drumming is blisteringly intense, unrelentingly frantic, and varied enough to turn my head occasionally. There are tracks on here I don't care for, though. When Lightning Bolt latch onto an idea or a hook, they refuse to let go for the length of a song. When I'm grooving to it, it's great. When I don't care for the loop from the get go, it bores me. There is still a ton of great material all across this record, and it's definitely one of 2015's best heavy metal albums.… Expand
  6. AShinyG1ratina
    Jun 22, 2022
    6
    It's ok but again this feels way too tame for a band like Lightning Bolt, which is disappointing to say the least.

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. The Wire
    May 15, 2015
    80
    Fantasy Empire stands out from run of the mill noise rock because it captures not only the ferocity of the playing, but also the fecundity of sharp and serious ideas that lesser acts cannot match. [Apr 2015, p.58]
  2. Dusted Magazine
    Apr 14, 2015
    70
    Fantasy Empire’s production values keep some of this internal resistance in check, and the album’s relatively linear songwriting does the rest, with much of the record proceeding at a pretty steady gallop, without too many wrinkles or games of musical tug of war.
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  3. Record Collector
    Apr 3, 2015
    80
    Fantasy Empire, with its discernible riffs, moments of relative calm--and even, dare it be said, choruses--is the best entry point for anyone curious about a powerhouse which has, up to this point at least, operated on the blustery, splattered neon fringes of noise rock.
    Read full review
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