Back catalogue: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: What's that strange rock formation over there? Phantom Island hears King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard burrow back into their sprawling underworld Gizzverse, mixing hallucinatory narratives and a restrained sonic palette, all while returning their rock operatic thematic hand to the cartographic myth of phantom islands. First intended to lead their album Flight b741, the song (come album) took on a life of its own, and just had to be released separately. Pepys Island and Antillia are a but a few of the mythological backbones of this miraging rock masterpiece, intuiting the story of a pilot touching down on a dreamlike island, only to find the passengers unraveling into visions of gods and beasts.

Review: Aussie rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's 22nd studio release continues their tradition of bold experimentation, featuring two expansive 15-minute tracks, including the highly anticipated fan favourite 'Hypertension.' The band's ability to push the boundaries of the rock genre is ever-present as they blend complex rhythms, hypnotic melodies, and immersive instrumentation in these sprawling compositions. An intricate sonic journey, showcasing King Gizzard's signature chaotic beauty and their continued exploration of sound in new, exciting directions.

Review: For their 26th album, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard shift from their recent grandiose themes to a more intimate collaboration among six close friends. Flight b741 embodies a primal, instinctual feel, as described by bandleader Stu Mackenzie. The goal was to create something raw and gut-drive full of fun and spontaneity. Drawing from the 70s American rock influences of their youth and their garage-rock origins, Flight b741 is a thrilling, dynamic creation. The album's ten tracks feature rough song structures brought to life by inspired improvisations, unique grooves, and a collaborative vocal approach where each band member contributes their voice. The album feels like a joyous weekend with friends, filled with moments of profound connection and exhilarating musical expression. Flight b741 is a beacon to King Gizzard's ability to innovate. delivering a raw and engaging musical experience.

Review: It can be tricky for even the most hardy psych-veteran to keep up with the recorded antics of this Melbourne-based sextet, who've hammered out a remarkable nine releases in their five years on the planet. Yet moreover, they've moved both onwards from the garage-rock onslaught of their last couple of outings and backwards into a sun-kissed psych-pop sound that's as melodiously cheerful as it is relaxed and confident. Displaying a lightness of touch that's perhaps surprising from a band generally so intent on bloody-minded overload, this latest chapter in the King Gizzard story is the most enthralling yet.

Review: These Aussie psych-mayhem merchants have set their sights on releasing a terrifying five records this year, and only a fool or a cynic would deny they're capable of it, given the freewheeling abandon and hell-for-leather chutzpah they've delivered on each of their ten outings to date. Whilst the majority of bands habitually claim to be pursuing a uniquely uncompromising vision, few are as guileless and full-on as the outfit we feast on via 'Murder Of The Universe', one completely unafraid to deal with four-part sagas concerning Tolkein-esque mythical monsters and Japanese cyborgs via a kinetic and combustible melange of garage fury and third-eye-massaging acid visions. Who knows where King Gizzard are heading, but right-thinking folks will be willing them to keep their foot firmly on the accelerator.

Review: It's not that fans of King Gizzard never expected this from the band's 15th long form outing, but rather anyone who stumbled upon the alliterated outfit on their last offering - "Fishing For Fishes" - is likely to be dumbstruck. Forget the life-affirming blues hues of that record. "Infest The Rats' Nest" sees the band at their heaviest - they are barely audible here beneath the din and cacophony of thrash metal. Exploring Earth's fate in the age of environmental degradation and pollution through "Superbug"'s slow chug and low, bellowed chorus, the driving riffs of "Mars For The Rich", the intensity of "Perihelion" and the screeching chords of "Venusian 2", the album's 9 tracks are as legit as anything this sub-genre has thrown at us since inception in the 1980s. More astute fans will have heard nuances of this on 2017's LP, "Murder of the Universe" and various manic musical explosions in Gizzard's back catalogue. "Infest The Rats' Nest" is a constant barrage of unrelenting energy from start to finish, and quite possibly their strongest album yet.

Review: Fill Your Lungs is the third album from the acclaimed Aussie psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. It is one of many of theirs getting the reissue treatment right now and it came initially only months after their debut Eyes Like the Sky. The album hit No 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart and marked a quick change in style for the band. This album found them embracing their psychedelic sound even more and featured second drummer Eric Moore using a real drum kit as possessed to the keys and theremin of the debut. It's a greatly experimental album with memserising riffs.

Review: The epic twists, turns and trysts of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard continue apace as they mint their 21st album. For a band who formed in 2010, that's a lot of work, and yet somehow these precociously talented pscyhonauts never miss. There's a breezy, joyous lilt to this latest opus as 'Mycelium' opens up proceedings, setting us off on a jammed-out journey through seven pieces built around the seven Greek modes (musical scales). If you're already hip to the freewheeling sound of these modern day freak-beaters, then you know you're going to love this one already. Long live the kings!

Review: The hugely prolific and endlessly touring Australian rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's latest is Rave Gizzard: Live in San Francisco 2024 via Reverberation Appreciation Society, a hefty triple-LP capturing their legendary first-ever full synth set. It was recorded live at The Regency Ballroom on November 6, 2024, and is a nine-track set with technicolour performances of tracks like 'Theia,' 'Gilgamesh' and 'Extinction' all reimagined with razor-sharp synth textures. It was an epic show lapped up by fans who revelled in the overwhelming bass and immersive, rave-like energy, all of which is conveyed when listening back. This limited-edition bootleg is a document of the band's adventurous leap into synth-driven psychedelia that is sure to swiftly sell out.

Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's August 2024 Detroit performance strips back their usual high-energy psychedelia to reveal a more intimate, acoustic side. The recording captures reworked versions of their tracks with precision and depthi'Theia' finds new resonance in its gentler arrangement, while 'Ambergris' breathes with delicate percussion and restrained guitar work. The interplay between instruments feels exploratory, creating an atmosphere that's simultaneously familiar and fresh. It's not just a concert captured on vinyl but a reimagining of their sound that allows the nuances of their songwriting to shine through.

Review: The label that's putting this out, Reverberation Appreciation Society, curates LEVITATION (formerly Austin Psych Fest) and anyone familiar with said festival will know that they put on arguable the best curated psych fest in the world. Their catalogue appears to specialise in live releases with the likes of The Dandy Warhols and Moon Duo having had live releases through them. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard is another top-drawer 70s-influenced psychedelic rock band with a longstanding relationship with the label. The Aussie band are among the most hard-working on the planet, with a stunning live reputation thanks to their improvisational wig outs, which channel Led Zeppelin at their most exploratory and Krautrock legends Can at their most hypnotic. This live set extends to eight discs because it's recorded over two nights in Queens, New York City, and songs often stretch beyond ten minutes, since they lean into those instrumental wormholes with full commitment. And, to their credit, their sets have that effect on a listener that's most possible when listening to the very best players - that transcendent journey into a parallel world where the ills and woes of the daily grind feel far away.