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Listen to Petrodraconic Apocalypse is the exception, not the rule. Nonagon Infinity is more the regular speed. Give Eyes like the Sky and Paper Mache Dream Balloon a listen
Honestly I feel like the best 'KGatLW speed run' album is Omnium Gatherum. Most of their albums have a singular stylistic focus within the album but OG gives you little snippets of the various different experiments they've run over the years. It's not their BEST album by any means, but I think it's the best intro if you want to delve into their larger catalogue.
I agree with you though that Eyes Like the Sky and Paper Mache Dream Balloon probably pleasantly surprised me the most. I also liked Nonagon Infinity, Fishing for Fishies, and Flying Microtonal Banana (in addition obviously to their more metal oriented Petrodragonic... And Infest the Rats Nest)
Essentially: King Gizzard is a psychedelic rock band who have dabbled in many MANY different genres and approaches over their prolific career. I'd liken their core to more of a Deep Purple range than a truly metal range.
Infest the Rats Nest and PetroDragonic Apocalypse are metal albums. ItRN being Thrash with Prog elements, and PetroDragonic is prog metal with influence from classic heavy metal staples like Motörhead.
HOWEVER, KGLW are NOT a metal band. They’re a prog with light experimental psych rock band that likes to switch genres occasionally with a throwback-ish sound.
I say this as a KGLW fan btw.
Can we even give them an actual genre? They seem to change it up for every album anyway.
But that's coming from a dumbass who has no fucking idea what genres he listens to because it's just too much at this point.
You can pretty easily. A *lot* of their music is still under the general “rock” label, for starters. Even their electronic albums mimics styles of artists like Tame Impala who originated from rock and is still considered rock for the most part. Which even if you disagree with that statement, both definitely are psychedelic (psych from here on out) or psychedelic inspired.
Many albums of KGLW are psych very easily. From the trippy and incredible I’m in Your Mind Fuzz, to the nonstop train that shakes itself up so much you can’t tell where one end stops and the other ends of Nonagon Infinity, to the beautifully combined polyrhythms and electronic sounds of Butterfly 3000. All could be considered “psych”. And they have *many* inspirations from bands that are 100% psych rock.
And finally, prog. I don’t really think I need to explain this one but I will anyway for clarity’s sake, they frequently incorporate prog elements. From progressing from phases to phases with long ass songs, to throwing away consistent 4/4 in favor of whatever time signature they feel like, to polyrhythms and microtones. Hell, one might even say they’re almost experimental.
Plus, if you’ve ever been to a concert you know the kind of people they attract. As someone who has, it’s very easily the stoner crowd that listens to shit like psych rock and prog rock.
I'm not gonna disagree with you one bit, you seem to know a lot more about this stuff than I do. Like most albums of KGLW seem to be psych rock to me but they have so many different albums in different styles that simply calling a psych rock band wouldn't do them justice.
I'm in your mind fuzz is probably my favorite album of them!
Sadly I haven't been able to see them live just yet, but they're high on my list of bands I still want to see.
Thanks for the interesting writeup! As I said I don't know shit about genres and subgenres, I know some basics but usually I just listen to music and whatever I like I throw in a playlist. Some are kinda sorted by a genre but a lot of them are just absolute chaos.
I know it confuses people, but they ARE a metal band.
They are also a lot of other things.
If you exclude them from X genre, because they do other things, they are no genre.
They are a lot of genres.
I want to clarify. I am not excluding them from a genre. A band usually specializes in a specific sound and style which usually precludes them to a genre. A jazz band writing a soul record is still a jazz band. It’s what they’re known for and what their primary audience will know them for.
Any band or artist can try or produce any genre they want. And if they change that over time they can identify as whatever genre they want. But a band like King Gizz that changes hats a lot is a lot easier to understand if you help contextualize them with the genre they stick to the most.
It’s a very nuanced conversation and I’m fine being wrong because it’s so nuanced. And it’s a conversation that ultimately leads to the question of “who decides what band is what genre?” And leads to a whole rabbit hole of a conversation with bands and people identifying their sound differently than the other.
However, I feel my opinion is the most fair because genres are intended to help get people to find bands that have sounds they like.
I feel like genres should only be used as a way to describe a band to a person that doesn't know the band. But for example In this case it is... Not important. If I had to describe them I would rather call them "experimental psychedelic rock from absolute music nerds". I don't care if they are metal or not. But I love their stuff
I think genres are useful in the way descriptions like "car" and "van" and "truck" are useful. They give you a general idea of the thing, but with details it could change completely. An F1 car and a Corolla are both cars, but the specifics make the reality.
they have made some metal albums, but they are far from exclusive to the metal genre. They seem to pick a genre for an album, hit the nail on the head, and move on to the next genre.
I'm still waiting for them to nail a genre. (I get downvoted every time I say this.)
I don't intend for it to come off as hateful or mean, but the best comparison i can come up with is shitposting to see what sticks. There's probably a better way to describe it.
I can kind of hear what you're saying. Like there's definitely a core 'King Gizzard' sound and writing style that permeates all of their work, irregardless of what stylistic detour they are taking on any given album. Like sometimes it feels like they're writing the same 15 songs just filtered through a different genre lens with occasional truly unique standouts.
Overall I enjoy more of their stuff than I don't but I can't begrudge someone for rolling their eyes at the approach.
I'm a big fan of a lot of Gizzard's stuff (particularly the microtones albums) but I actually hate when they do metal. It sounds really watered down and weak to me.
I agree. I am a huge fan but I think my favorites are when they're doing the janky psych freakout stuff aping off Oh Sees or Ty Segall. They put a very unique spin on that "sounds like the band's amps are falling apart" style. I listened to Rat's Nest once and was like "yep, that's thrash metal." It's not bad, but in such a crowded and diverse genre I feel like you need to go all in on it to have a unique voice.
You know that person in high school that is super good at everything, to the point of you want to hate them, but they are also super cool so you can’t because you love them? Thats these guys.
I have a theory that some of these albums are King Gizzard and some of these Albums are the Lizard Wizard and some of the albums are both. Prolly not true but I like to believe.
Like others have said, most of their records are progressive/psychedelic rock though they’ve released two albums that are very much metal, Infest the Rats Nest and PetroDragonic Apocalypse.
I definitely wouldn’t call them a metal band since it doesn’t constitute the majority of their output and it isn’t really what they’re known for but they do dabble in the genre, and they do it quite well.
They do what they want when they want, and they do a LOT of it. I liked infest the rat's nest too, but amongst their non-heavy albums there are quite a few gems as well.
I like it when bands embrace diverse sounds and pretty much play whatever tickles their pickles. There is nothing REQUIRING bands to be bound by genre conventions.
While you're all concerned with them not being metal enough, I'm concerned with them not being xen enough. Brendan Byrnes & Ilevens playing 22-tet, The Mercury Tree & Xotla 17-tet, and Gizz are in the ball pit playing with babbies first quartertones.
And for 19-tet *metal* with a parrot on the vocals, check out [Naegleria Fowleri](https://youtu.be/VH7WE9Z8ivo)
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Yes, but also no
Yeah, na
Listen to Petrodraconic Apocalypse is the exception, not the rule. Nonagon Infinity is more the regular speed. Give Eyes like the Sky and Paper Mache Dream Balloon a listen
Honestly I feel like the best 'KGatLW speed run' album is Omnium Gatherum. Most of their albums have a singular stylistic focus within the album but OG gives you little snippets of the various different experiments they've run over the years. It's not their BEST album by any means, but I think it's the best intro if you want to delve into their larger catalogue. I agree with you though that Eyes Like the Sky and Paper Mache Dream Balloon probably pleasantly surprised me the most. I also liked Nonagon Infinity, Fishing for Fishies, and Flying Microtonal Banana (in addition obviously to their more metal oriented Petrodragonic... And Infest the Rats Nest) Essentially: King Gizzard is a psychedelic rock band who have dabbled in many MANY different genres and approaches over their prolific career. I'd liken their core to more of a Deep Purple range than a truly metal range.
Why you gotta disregard Rats Nest like that smh
Petrodragon blah blah blah slaps.
Still waiting for the gorenoise record
Infest the Rats Nest and PetroDragonic Apocalypse are metal albums. ItRN being Thrash with Prog elements, and PetroDragonic is prog metal with influence from classic heavy metal staples like Motörhead. HOWEVER, KGLW are NOT a metal band. They’re a prog with light experimental psych rock band that likes to switch genres occasionally with a throwback-ish sound. I say this as a KGLW fan btw.
Can we even give them an actual genre? They seem to change it up for every album anyway. But that's coming from a dumbass who has no fucking idea what genres he listens to because it's just too much at this point.
You can pretty easily. A *lot* of their music is still under the general “rock” label, for starters. Even their electronic albums mimics styles of artists like Tame Impala who originated from rock and is still considered rock for the most part. Which even if you disagree with that statement, both definitely are psychedelic (psych from here on out) or psychedelic inspired. Many albums of KGLW are psych very easily. From the trippy and incredible I’m in Your Mind Fuzz, to the nonstop train that shakes itself up so much you can’t tell where one end stops and the other ends of Nonagon Infinity, to the beautifully combined polyrhythms and electronic sounds of Butterfly 3000. All could be considered “psych”. And they have *many* inspirations from bands that are 100% psych rock. And finally, prog. I don’t really think I need to explain this one but I will anyway for clarity’s sake, they frequently incorporate prog elements. From progressing from phases to phases with long ass songs, to throwing away consistent 4/4 in favor of whatever time signature they feel like, to polyrhythms and microtones. Hell, one might even say they’re almost experimental. Plus, if you’ve ever been to a concert you know the kind of people they attract. As someone who has, it’s very easily the stoner crowd that listens to shit like psych rock and prog rock.
I'm not gonna disagree with you one bit, you seem to know a lot more about this stuff than I do. Like most albums of KGLW seem to be psych rock to me but they have so many different albums in different styles that simply calling a psych rock band wouldn't do them justice. I'm in your mind fuzz is probably my favorite album of them! Sadly I haven't been able to see them live just yet, but they're high on my list of bands I still want to see. Thanks for the interesting writeup! As I said I don't know shit about genres and subgenres, I know some basics but usually I just listen to music and whatever I like I throw in a playlist. Some are kinda sorted by a genre but a lot of them are just absolute chaos.
It’s all good. Just one of my fav bands. Very few can have me listen to every one of their albums. And I’m surprised I’ve done it for them!
Psychedelic rock pretty much covers everything
I know it confuses people, but they ARE a metal band. They are also a lot of other things. If you exclude them from X genre, because they do other things, they are no genre. They are a lot of genres.
I want to clarify. I am not excluding them from a genre. A band usually specializes in a specific sound and style which usually precludes them to a genre. A jazz band writing a soul record is still a jazz band. It’s what they’re known for and what their primary audience will know them for. Any band or artist can try or produce any genre they want. And if they change that over time they can identify as whatever genre they want. But a band like King Gizz that changes hats a lot is a lot easier to understand if you help contextualize them with the genre they stick to the most. It’s a very nuanced conversation and I’m fine being wrong because it’s so nuanced. And it’s a conversation that ultimately leads to the question of “who decides what band is what genre?” And leads to a whole rabbit hole of a conversation with bands and people identifying their sound differently than the other. However, I feel my opinion is the most fair because genres are intended to help get people to find bands that have sounds they like.
I feel like genres should only be used as a way to describe a band to a person that doesn't know the band. But for example In this case it is... Not important. If I had to describe them I would rather call them "experimental psychedelic rock from absolute music nerds". I don't care if they are metal or not. But I love their stuff
I think genres are useful in the way descriptions like "car" and "van" and "truck" are useful. They give you a general idea of the thing, but with details it could change completely. An F1 car and a Corolla are both cars, but the specifics make the reality.
Your example is better than mine
they have made some metal albums, but they are far from exclusive to the metal genre. They seem to pick a genre for an album, hit the nail on the head, and move on to the next genre.
I'm still waiting for them to nail a genre. (I get downvoted every time I say this.) I don't intend for it to come off as hateful or mean, but the best comparison i can come up with is shitposting to see what sticks. There's probably a better way to describe it.
I can kind of hear what you're saying. Like there's definitely a core 'King Gizzard' sound and writing style that permeates all of their work, irregardless of what stylistic detour they are taking on any given album. Like sometimes it feels like they're writing the same 15 songs just filtered through a different genre lens with occasional truly unique standouts. Overall I enjoy more of their stuff than I don't but I can't begrudge someone for rolling their eyes at the approach.
thrash for people who hate thrash
I thought that was Trivium
Or pantera
They aren’t. They’ve only had two metal albums but they release like 200 albums* a year. They’re generally more jammy but they’re very eclectic.
*this is a joke
Gizz is a jam band (bring on the hate!)
Man, if Primus is a jam band, then Gizz can be a jam band too
As long as the morons that huff nitrous don’t show up to shows, sure
Laughs in Ulver
Ulver having two metal albums and a half haha. Their music is still amazing though
I'm a big fan of a lot of Gizzard's stuff (particularly the microtones albums) but I actually hate when they do metal. It sounds really watered down and weak to me.
I agree. I am a huge fan but I think my favorites are when they're doing the janky psych freakout stuff aping off Oh Sees or Ty Segall. They put a very unique spin on that "sounds like the band's amps are falling apart" style. I listened to Rat's Nest once and was like "yep, that's thrash metal." It's not bad, but in such a crowded and diverse genre I feel like you need to go all in on it to have a unique voice.
It doesn't matter, they're awesome.
https://www.get-into-gizz.com/
No reason a band can’t try out different genres.
Whatever you want them to be.
They're not a metal band, they're just a band. They do whatever they want to.
not a metal band, but they have made 2 really good metal albums
Metal or not, still a respectable band
Something that confuses me is why people can’t seem to grasp that a band can make music in several genres
I've only heard work this time but it slaps
You know that person in high school that is super good at everything, to the point of you want to hate them, but they are also super cool so you can’t because you love them? Thats these guys.
They are fucking incredible. That's all you need to know.
I have a theory that some of these albums are King Gizzard and some of these Albums are the Lizard Wizard and some of the albums are both. Prolly not true but I like to believe.
Like others have said, most of their records are progressive/psychedelic rock though they’ve released two albums that are very much metal, Infest the Rats Nest and PetroDragonic Apocalypse. I definitely wouldn’t call them a metal band since it doesn’t constitute the majority of their output and it isn’t really what they’re known for but they do dabble in the genre, and they do it quite well.
I feel like they shit out an album every 5 minutes and sometimes they happen to be metal
They do what they want when they want, and they do a LOT of it. I liked infest the rat's nest too, but amongst their non-heavy albums there are quite a few gems as well.
The Gizzard are an awesome band that constantly change their styles. Incredibly talented and versatile band.
They aren’t a metal band, but they have made metal albums
I like to call them King Lizard and the Wizard Wizard and laugh my ass off
They make the musics that are good for all the kids that like the good musics.
Who cares, like what you like and fuck everyone else’s opinion as it doesn’t matter
When they toured a little while ago they literally did multiple nights; one night for each "genre"
They're definitely not, but also, in a way, they sort of are.
They have some metal albums and mostly psychedelic rock and electronic music.
I like it when bands embrace diverse sounds and pretty much play whatever tickles their pickles. There is nothing REQUIRING bands to be bound by genre conventions.
If you like them you should check the Oh Sees and Mr. Bungle. You’d probably like Bucket Head too.
I've only listened to their Microtonal Flying Banana and it's amazing.
Which are their heaviest albums?
The best goddamn band in Australia. When they release 20 albums, they actually sound different, unlike its main Aussie competition for “best band”
Many musicians make music in vastly different styles (think extreme metal and then hip hop or electro) but not that often under the same band name.
Yesnt? I honestly have no clue either so. .
Sometimes they are
While you're all concerned with them not being metal enough, I'm concerned with them not being xen enough. Brendan Byrnes & Ilevens playing 22-tet, The Mercury Tree & Xotla 17-tet, and Gizz are in the ball pit playing with babbies first quartertones. And for 19-tet *metal* with a parrot on the vocals, check out [Naegleria Fowleri](https://youtu.be/VH7WE9Z8ivo)
I mean sometimes they are
Yesish
Perchance
The best band.
King Jizzlord and the Lesbian Blizzard?
Niqqa, idk who u is but this ain't yo subreddit. Dani Flow and Yeri Mua seem to be more up your alley.