K.G. - King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard: Review
are a truly unique Australian psychedelic rock band. For the last decade the prolific group has released a number of records which often indulge in conceptual narratives under a wide variety of sonic approaches. Last year the band released a two albums that indulged in environmentalist themes with the hokey Fishing For Fishes and the thrash metal experiment Infest The Rats Nesi.
Review By Lav:
King Gizzard have certainly been one of the most exciting bands of the past 10 years. Not only do they have a versatile roster of musicians on hand to tackle all kinds of sounds but they release music so prolifically that a new idea or concept is always right around the corner. When they hit their stride on records like Nonagon Infinity, Paper Mache Dream Balloon and most recently Infest The Rats Nest they are exciting, unique and ferocious. Unfortunately going into K.G. it was clear that the concept was another journey into microtonal tuning, a sequel to one of my least favorite albums the band has ever put out Flying Microtonal Banana. Thankfully K.G. serves up a little more versatility and interest, although at points it falls into the exact same stumbles.
This record is almost a story of two halves and the far more boring and underwritten half comes first. Automation was a single that I didn't love and still don't really care for as the records first proper track. It is genuinely boring which so few Gizz songs ever are. The subdued vocals don't do much for me and the hook is simple and dry, even though the instrumental is decent and probably the best part of the song it is easily outclassed by other songs all over the album. Straws In The Wind doesn't feature regular vocalist Stu Mackenzie on vocals instead replacing him with fellow bandmate Ambrose Kenny-Smith, but the underselling of the vocals persists. While the sitar is unique and attention grabbing at first it starts to get really taxing over a nearly 6 minute song. The lyrics are probably highlight worthy but the vocals are mixed so low that it can often be hard to even make them out.
Minimum Brain Size is a slight improvement with a slick desert groove and some slightly more lively vocals. The songs wiry mix and lowkey demeanor are charming and the guitar work in the second half is at least engaging. Not much of the track stands out as actually all that great but I can enjoy it in passing. Similarly in the second half of the record Oddlife interrupts a run of otherwise good tracks with songwriting so painfully similar to dozens of other King Gizz songs that it almost sounds like a self-cover. The snazzy guitar work is the only thing that helps the track stand out from the others in any meaningful way.
Thankfully all the other tracks on the second half of the record are pretty good starting with Some Of Us. It revs up the energy on the record a ton with a great energetic riff and some bouncy percussion that come together for a super sticky instrumental refrain. While this reminds me really strongly of one other specific Gizz track, I can't pinpoint exactly which one and still really enjoy the song regardless. Ontology is an absolutely killed song that has emerged as my favorite on the record quickly. The driving percussion is great and so is the subtle little chord progression and squeaking reverb. The song sounds sloppy but in a way that is absolutely perfect for the band and makes it all feel livelier. The groove is tight as fuck and the soaring pseudo hook is a major highlight.
Intrasport is another left hook on the record being the most inherently psychedelic sounding song here. The drumming is more prominent and the spacey vocal mix makes the whole song feel trippy. The result is a bouncy fun detour that comes at a perfect time in the tracklist. Honey has every single one of the albums catchiest vocal refrains wrapped up into one song. I like the acoustic take on the microtonal theme but the main highlight is clearer vocals that work to further highlight the great songwriting at the tracks core. The closing track The Hungry Wolf Of Fate isn't my favorite but I can't deny how much I love the heavy chugging instrumental that sounds unmistakably like Black Sabbath worship. The song has a stable progression and a great explosion of sound right at its peak as well. The only thing I don't love about it is the vocals which once again undersell it and don't do enough to really make this thing the bang of a closer the band seemed to be shooting for.
Even though K.G. isn't one of my favorite projects from the band thus far it's clear that they have a bassline of talent that appears on almost all their projects and makes it hard for them to have a true dud. Too many of the songs on this record are arena sized triumphant anthems or catchy lo-fi rock ragers that will stick with me for at least the rest of the year. Unfortunately too many of the songs on the record are also boring renditions of territory the band have more than thoroughly explored before and the entire first half of the record doesn't add up to much. Gizz have proven that they can bounce back remarkably well after their weaker records and I have no doubt that whatever they do next will likely be an improvement, because K.G. feels destined to get lost in the mix. 5.5/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
Nice striking cover. It seems really simple until you zoom in and see all of the detail. The color of the yellow really pops against the blue but while the bright yellow brings the letters forward it also doesn't make sense is that is supposed to be what you see through the bricks and broke bars, It would make more sense if it has some sort of orange and red gradient included in it too. Overall this piece is in your face and gets its point across really well. 6/10
For more psych rock check out my review of The Flaming Lips American Head here
