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Meme Lord
I'll probably be the only one posting here, but they released new song yesterday and I thought "Damn, these guys deserve their own thread!" Here's my little Q&A:
What kind of name is that?
From the mouth of the Stu Mackenzie (guitar, vocal, flute etc) himself:
OK, so who are they?
Six guys from Australia (used to be seven) who formed in 2011 and since then put out 23 studio albums. Yes, 23 different albums in 12 years and yes, that doesn't include live albums, compilations and such. For example, last October they released three albums in one month and in 2017 they've released five albums.
What kind of music do they play?
Urm... Every kind of imaginable. Rock, pop, techno, surf, garage, psychedelic, metal, rap, jazz, country, spoken word, folk, pop, experimental, blues, boogie, synth and so on. I did not just started writing these at random. Majority of the albums have a certain style which they tried to incorporate into their sound. There really are spoken word albums with the music they made in the background, there really are synth-pop albums and so on.
Is it any good?
Depends on your taste. There are albums I really couldn't listen to the end. Then again, there are albums that were on constant rotation since I've heard them. Also, there are albums that didn't impress me at first and later I started to like them and vice versa.
Where should I start then?
There are several guides you can find on the interwebs, and here are some of the links:
https://kglw.net/page/gizzverse-guide
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/stanley2029/king-gizzard-discography-guide/
and this one sums it the best: https://www.get-into-gizz.com/
What would you suggest?
Since this is a Maiden forum, maybe "Infest the Rats Nest" from 2019. It's a trash metal album about post-apocalyptic society. If you want to know the album that I'd say is "typical" KGLW album then "Nonagon Infinity" (just recently I discovered that every song on this album had a riff or melody or them from previous song and from the song that comes next. And that is throughout the whole album, so you can listen it on loop. Discovering gems like this makes me appreciate it even more.). Also, if you want to taste everything the band has done, go to "Omnium Gatherum" from 2022. That one has a taste from every previous album - from opening psychedelic rock track that lasts 11 minutes to pop songs, funk, rap and so on.
How deep does the rabbit whole go?
I have no idea. I haven't managed to grasp everything they did, since they also put out A LOT of bootlegs and some of them have spin-off bands with several members from KGLW.
Is there something I should be aware of?
Yes, vocaly they're really not something. On softer track, that go more into pop/techno, Stu's vocal is fine. Metal, rock tracks or something with more energy? Once you get used to it - it's fine. Otherwise it can sound like he is mocking the genre they're playing.
Something else to know about KGLW?
Their live shows are amazing. Before pandemic they used to do 80+ shows per year. With Stu's condition (last summer tour had to be canceled due to Chron's disease) they slowed down a bit. But here's a thing: every single gig they've ever done is different. Like, really different. Not only the setlist, or the order or the songs they're playing but entire concept. For example, one day they may play 17-20 songs from 4 different albums and the next night they can play 7-8 songs from a single album but incorporate or jam 20 other songs. I saw them twice past summer (might do a review if I find the time) and believe me - it's something. They also release a ton of bootleg. Hey, they even let you sell the bootlegs you made but only if you send them 3 copies of that same bootleg. That's nice. If you want to see what does it look like I suggest Live from Bonarroo '22: Youtube link
Final verdict?
Maybe this thread compels me to go throughout their discography and make me discover something new or changes my opinion about certain albums. But I really don't see it happening because they just keep on releasing new stuff (new album is out June 16th.) However, I can't express how glad I'm that band like this exists. You know how they say "There's no next big thing"? Well, there is.
It's King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
What kind of name is that?
From the mouth of the Stu Mackenzie (guitar, vocal, flute etc) himself:
OK, so who are they?
Six guys from Australia (used to be seven) who formed in 2011 and since then put out 23 studio albums. Yes, 23 different albums in 12 years and yes, that doesn't include live albums, compilations and such. For example, last October they released three albums in one month and in 2017 they've released five albums.
What kind of music do they play?
Urm... Every kind of imaginable. Rock, pop, techno, surf, garage, psychedelic, metal, rap, jazz, country, spoken word, folk, pop, experimental, blues, boogie, synth and so on. I did not just started writing these at random. Majority of the albums have a certain style which they tried to incorporate into their sound. There really are spoken word albums with the music they made in the background, there really are synth-pop albums and so on.
Is it any good?
Depends on your taste. There are albums I really couldn't listen to the end. Then again, there are albums that were on constant rotation since I've heard them. Also, there are albums that didn't impress me at first and later I started to like them and vice versa.
Where should I start then?
There are several guides you can find on the interwebs, and here are some of the links:
https://kglw.net/page/gizzverse-guide
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/stanley2029/king-gizzard-discography-guide/
and this one sums it the best: https://www.get-into-gizz.com/
What would you suggest?
Since this is a Maiden forum, maybe "Infest the Rats Nest" from 2019. It's a trash metal album about post-apocalyptic society. If you want to know the album that I'd say is "typical" KGLW album then "Nonagon Infinity" (just recently I discovered that every song on this album had a riff or melody or them from previous song and from the song that comes next. And that is throughout the whole album, so you can listen it on loop. Discovering gems like this makes me appreciate it even more.). Also, if you want to taste everything the band has done, go to "Omnium Gatherum" from 2022. That one has a taste from every previous album - from opening psychedelic rock track that lasts 11 minutes to pop songs, funk, rap and so on.
How deep does the rabbit whole go?
I have no idea. I haven't managed to grasp everything they did, since they also put out A LOT of bootlegs and some of them have spin-off bands with several members from KGLW.
Is there something I should be aware of?
Yes, vocaly they're really not something. On softer track, that go more into pop/techno, Stu's vocal is fine. Metal, rock tracks or something with more energy? Once you get used to it - it's fine. Otherwise it can sound like he is mocking the genre they're playing.
Something else to know about KGLW?
Their live shows are amazing. Before pandemic they used to do 80+ shows per year. With Stu's condition (last summer tour had to be canceled due to Chron's disease) they slowed down a bit. But here's a thing: every single gig they've ever done is different. Like, really different. Not only the setlist, or the order or the songs they're playing but entire concept. For example, one day they may play 17-20 songs from 4 different albums and the next night they can play 7-8 songs from a single album but incorporate or jam 20 other songs. I saw them twice past summer (might do a review if I find the time) and believe me - it's something. They also release a ton of bootleg. Hey, they even let you sell the bootlegs you made but only if you send them 3 copies of that same bootleg. That's nice. If you want to see what does it look like I suggest Live from Bonarroo '22: Youtube link
Final verdict?
Maybe this thread compels me to go throughout their discography and make me discover something new or changes my opinion about certain albums. But I really don't see it happening because they just keep on releasing new stuff (new album is out June 16th.) However, I can't express how glad I'm that band like this exists. You know how they say "There's no next big thing"? Well, there is.
It's King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.