Lightning Bolt are a kind of musical anomaly. While spearheading the almost unheard genre of noise-punk - with fellow rockers Pink and Brown as well as the more esoteric Black Dice - Lightning Bolt's sound resembles some dream band's line-ups.

Imagine Eddie Van Halen ripping through "Eruption" while Neil Peart bangs away at the drums of every track. Throw in a perpetual, driving bass line and the convulsion of Sigur Ros's vocals, and you've got Lightning Bolt.

Even with all of that name-dropping, it's still nearly impossible to grasp Lightning Bolt's sound - especially given that they are made up of only two men. Luckily, they've got it mastered and prove it again on their latest, Hypermagic Mountain.

Even though Lightning Bolt delves into the heavier, less technically impressive side of their music, their signature style remains intact and as does their extraordinary musicianship. "Riffwraiths" has a straightforward, overpowering bass line and staccato cymbal rhythms. It may sound impressive to a first-timer, but anyone acquainted with the band will admit that it's below average and watered-down.

"Mohawk Windmill" is another divergence for Lightning Bolt. As possibly the most structured song they've ever done, it lacks the sheer intensity of their other material. The bass line is slowed and distinguishable rather than the standard avalanche of distorted notes, and the drums are impressive but not overly exceptional.

Hypermagic Mountain does host its fair share of early-era Lightning Bolt freakouts. "Bizarro Zarro Land" opens with more finger tapping than Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar could fit into a five-minute battle, and the ensuing insanity sounds like a soundtrack to hell.

"Dead Cowboy" is another Lightning Bolt staple. After bassist Brian Gibson is given a chance to strut his stuff, lead-singer and drummer Brian Chippendale rips through the percussion section and screams his cryptic lines. Chippendale even infuses the album with the group's quirky sense of humor when he sings the bass line on "Birdy."

Lightning Bolt traverse just far enough away from the old on Hypermagic Mountain to keep fans interested, and don't lose the occasional listener. The album's focus shifts slightly toward structured songs make it marginally less intriguing but certainly a bit more accessible. Maybe Eddie will bring them along on the next Van Halen reunion tour just for kicks.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars