King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: General Music Discussions
Forum Description: Discuss and create polls about all types of music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=111618
Printed Date: May 07 2024 at 06:43
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Topic: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Posted By: Prog-jester
Subject: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Date Posted: July 29 2017 at 17:27
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A wildly eclectic, unique sound: CHECK A genre impossible to define, utilizing influences from math-rock, psychedelia and even surf-rock (!): CHECK A string of different yet almost-all-concept albums: CHECK Irregular time signatures: literally almost no songs in 4/4 A ProgArchives page: NON-EXIST-ENT??? Their most recent album is as PROG as it can be, a three-part sci-fi story in 20 chapters with loads of mellotron thrown in. Give these Aussies some love! <333 |
Replies:
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: July 29 2017 at 19:07
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Local aussie band. Not that good though :D ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: ProfPanglos
Date Posted: July 29 2017 at 20:53
| Never heard of them until now. Thanks for posting, Prog-Jester. I totally enjoyed both of those clips. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: July 30 2017 at 05:43
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Come on Igor. You've been here long enough to know how things work and perhaps more importantly how they most definitely do not. Calling out a fellow collab because you hear something he doesn't does not strike me as a sympathetic and reasonable way to go about things. Perhaps you could've posted in the already existing thread and asked the PSIKE team to take another look at the more recent album on which they do seem more experimental, I'll grant you that. Still, to these ears they're still heavily rooted in the bluesy garagey kind of rock....and when has prog ever been a badge of honour? I mean it is perfectly possible to show these cats some love even if we refrain from calling them prog. I own their three most recent albums and I certainly wouldn't call them a prog band. Does that take anything away from my enjoyment of the music? Not in the least. Just like I adore honey even if it's not a form of meat. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: July 30 2017 at 07:52
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Just edited my previous post to avoid any sort of conflict (I certainly wasn't looking for one). I don't really think any other bluesy-garage band got such a distinct recognizable sound or plays in 7/8 and 5/4 all the time or releases sci-fi-concept albums, but what do I know. Not trying to dive into this old "I love them hence they're prog" routine, just really shocked PA users ignore them (judging from this topic). |
Posted By: DreamsReign
Date Posted: July 30 2017 at 19:32
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Totally Agree. Their latest album, Murder of the Universe is very similar thematically to Karn Evil 9. AND the album follows the classic prog blueprint set down by albums like Close to the Edge and Relayer: It was a 20 minute opening cycle and then two 10 minute cycles - add up the track lengths from each of the 3 movements if you don't believe me! If this album isn't prog, then nothing is, honestly. And I don't say this as a crazy fan, honest. I really did not like Flying Mocrotonal Banana, and even Murder of the Universe is not a patch on Nonagon Infinity. But these guys are as prog as it gets. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: July 31 2017 at 10:08
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Damn...just listened to Murder Of The Universe and it blew me right through the livingroom. Such a great album and perhaps even more so when you count in the fact that the banana album got released earlier in the year. Not quite Buckethead territory, thank ford, but with much better results. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: memowakeman
Date Posted: July 31 2017 at 11:24
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A band I LOVE!!!! ------------- Follow me on twitter @memowakeman |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: July 31 2017 at 17:37
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yes, finally! Personal Top-3: 1. Nonagon 2. Banana 3. MoU Needa re-listen all the previous ones, can't remember being too keen on them, hearing the band at first back in 2014 |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: August 01 2017 at 13:14
Never heard of them...thanks for posting the videos. I always enjoy hearing new bands. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: August 11 2017 at 09:50
| Just got into these guys a few months back (after hearing about them for the last two years) and picked up their last four albums. Really good stuff. And they love playing in 7/8. |
Posted By: Rayner
Date Posted: August 20 2017 at 14:14
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They are a great band and they have an awesome sound. PS Nonagon Infinity Kicks Ass ------------- Rayner |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: August 23 2017 at 08:00
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Ey oop. I'm dusting off my account briefly to publicly declare my love of this band and my utter bafflement that they've yet to make it past the PA gatekeepers. Has anyone here heard their latest album Sketches of Brunswick East yet? Owes more than a little debt to early Soft Machine, IMO. |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: August 23 2017 at 08:05
| ^ In which sub-genre would you put them? I heard their latest the other day and it just confused me even more (and who knows where they'll go next?). |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: August 23 2017 at 08:32
I'll be honest, this is more or less why I gave up on PA. The idea of categorising an artist (whose career may span decades and dozens of albums) into a single sub-category is needlessly restrictive. The end result is often stifled discussion and, occasionally, downright misinformation. King Gizz are a classic case in point. There is no doubt to my mind that they are a progressive rock band. They are doing inventive, eclectic, complex things with rock music. That's prog. When you get into the nitty gritty you can find touches of inspiration from all over the prog/psych landscape of the last fifty years. Everything from early psych-pop to krautrock, heavy metal to Canterbury. There is no one PA pigeonhole that feels like a good fit for them, so the chances are they will end up being batted about between genre teams for months, maybe years to come, by which point they will have probably released another 10 albums, given the rate they work at! So yeah, within the way PA operates I don't have a good answer I'm afraid. I just feel it's a great shame that users of this site may be missing out on one of the most exciting and prolific progressive bands of recent years because no one can agree on which arbitrary sub-category they ought to be filed under. |
Meltdowner wrote:Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: August 27 2017 at 14:26
^ Eclectic then, sorted 
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: October 19 2017 at 13:23
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Something new for the evidence locker: |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: October 19 2017 at 15:29
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^Instant classic! Been sporadically checking them out in the last couple of months. They made prog fun again! ------------- 
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Posted By: Quinino
Date Posted: October 19 2017 at 16:06
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Maaaaaaaaaaaaadly exciting, thx guys (a daughter had already given me a hint about them - she saw them live last summer and was blown away) |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: October 20 2017 at 04:32
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 16 2017 at 15:57
| Polygondwanaland is out now, available as a completely free download. Definitely their proggiest album to date, and (based on my first listen) arguably one of their best. Really exciting stuff. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 17 2017 at 05:10
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they reminds me of Gong, Voivod, amd Residence -------------  
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Posted By: Quinino
Date Posted: November 17 2017 at 05:40
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Listening right now to the latest on Bandcamp (which BTW one can download for free) Don't like the vocals at all but the arrangements and specially the dynamics are strong |
Posted By: David64T
Date Posted: November 17 2017 at 06:51
Thanks for the heads-up - I just downloaded Polygondwanaland, there is some good stuff there and I suspect it will grow even more on me with repeated listening. I will be choosing to put some $ their way too, maybe through some merch, least that can be done.  ------------- Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: https://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/" rel="nofollow - http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/ |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: November 19 2017 at 01:20
like most here never heard of them two vids are great enjoyed them thank you for post ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: Friday13th
Date Posted: November 20 2017 at 17:32
| They seem to be getting a lot of coverage now that Anthony Fantano has reviewed their albums. I'm interested to check this new one out, though I was a bit disappointed with Microtonal Banana. I've been looking for use of microtonal instruments in rock that sounds beyond just novelty...Banana didn't cut it. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 21 2017 at 12:29
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I am completely smitten by Sketches Of Brunswick East. Spinning that sucker on a daily basis. Must admit that I far prefer their more laid-back style to the fast paced mathy surfer rock. It's a lot of fun and brilliant when I'm in the right mood sure, but Sketches seems to suit all occasions for this Dane. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 22 2017 at 06:18
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Planning on spinning the new one for the second time today. This time I will actaully try to listen to it Funny how one's brain some times flies right out your nose for the entirety of an album/movie/conversation about politics. Oh and people!!! Remember to check out these cats. Their new album is free off of bandcamp and should please old school rockers and neo-psych heads alike ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: November 22 2017 at 06:29
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^that is an excellent album (I mean Polygondwanaland) ... though I'm still not convinced about adding them to the archives ... ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/users/Rivertree" rel="nofollow">  |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 22 2017 at 06:55
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Spinning it right this minute and it's a real fun listen. I'm not sure they belong here either and am furthermore glad it's not up to me ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 23 2017 at 08:26
Glad you're enjoying it! It's nice to see them getting a little love round these parts. I'm genuinely curious what your reservations might be with regards to adding them to PA. It strikes me that they've been moving in a steadily proggier direction from "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz" onwards (with the exception of Paper Mache Dream Balloon, which is a bit of a psych-pop detour). |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 23 2017 at 08:52
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As much as I'm digging these guys I am still first and foremost hearing an intelligent rock n roll band. Sure they mix things up with odd time sigs, jazz and so forth but so did Derek & The Dominoes, GFR, The Dead, Allman Brothers, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Led Zeppelin, Edgar Broughton Band and Cream yet all of these bands, including the Gizzards, sound far more rooted in blues rock than in prog to these ears. The closest I feel they've come to PA is actually Sketches that rides the ridges of fusion. Maybe the jazzy cats can take a look at them if PSIKE decides to reject them? On my third spin of Polygondwanaland right now and I am loving every minute of it  That opening track is just superb! ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: November 26 2017 at 04:59
Of course let's add some bedroom Genesis and Dream Theater clones, they're way more progressive  And then people create threads like WHY YOUTH NO LIKE PROG, maybe because dads can't see a fresh and unique band blossoming right under their nose? These guys are Crimson of 21th century y'all! |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 26 2017 at 06:01
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You gotta love it when old members who've done exactly sh*t for this website during the last couple of years then comes along to educate the rest of us what prog is. Thanks Igor. I also love the way you take stabs at PA in the process, good form sir. I trust you've come to this conclusion via the torrents of music sites and reviewers alike who claim this band to be prog? ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 26 2017 at 06:09
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Also it is not about being 'progressive' c'mon you've been here long enough to know that. It is about whether or not the music is prog. That is also why we don't include The Wu-Tang Clan, Pere Ubu and Mozart. May be progressive but it isn't prog. Edit: Alright I've calmed a bit down now but it really pisses me off when you go ahead and do the exact same thing I called you out on earlier in this thread...especially when you have direct access to the PSIKE team who are evaluating them. Instead you log in to publically shame them...yet again simply because you hear something they do not. Hell you even agreed before in that you went back and edited your OP so as it didn't sound like an overt attack on the PSIKE team I still love this band btw and pretty much everyone on the PSIKE team seems to dig them as well. It is not some conspiracy nor is it because the team consists of elderly dads who haven't listened to anything new since Marillion's debut. Some of em are younger than you big boy. Could it just be that you yourself became weary of the same ol prog by the numbers and ventured out beyond the prog umbrella and to your amazement found a boot full of experimental artists that actually sounded far more progressive than half of what is being listed on this website as prog? Well I am sort of in the same bag yet that doesn't change this site's parametres one bit. We all have acts we feel belong here yet aren't regardless of how hard we fought for them via jootob clippings and well written posts about genre defying music and time signatures. Such is the way of a site like this for better and worse. Either accept it or don't. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: November 26 2017 at 11:59
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...Well that escalated quickly. Before I go any further I want to be clear here that I have complete respect for everyone involved in this discussion. We’ve all been around long enough to know that prog is always a subjective, personal thing and individual definitions/boundaries will inevitably vary from person to person. I want us to have this debate because I do truly believe KGATLW have done more than enough to deserve serious consideration and attention from prog rock community, but more to the point I want that debate to be held in a way that is respectful, friendly and productive. All that being said, I’m going to go into detail about exactly how and why I’ve come to my conclusions regarding this wonderful band, and then I’m going to walk away from this thread and leave it for others to decide. I know from past experience when I was considerably more active on this site (many moons ago!) just how tough it can be for collaborators and genre teams to make definite, permanent choices on a subject that is by its nature subjective, fluid and ever evolving. I don’t envy them one jot. OK, so with all that in mind, here goes… I believe King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are, in their current form, by any reasonable definition, a progressive rock band. As I said earlier, they have been on a trajectory away from simplistic psych-blues/garage rock to out and out prog ever since I’m In Your Mind Fuzz, but even if you ignore ALL their output up to and including Nonagon Infinity you are still left with four unique albums, all of which encapsulate different elements of prog. The fact that all four of them came out this year (and supposedly with a fifth still to come), whilst impressive, is ultimately irrelevant. If those four albums had been put out by a different band over the space of several years, the argument would be just as valid as all four of them are, to my ears, out and out progressive rock albums. Let me explain why. Flying Microtonal Banana Strong krautrock influences throughout, unusual instrumentation (not just microtonal guitars but also traditional instruments such as the zurna), extended arrangements, unusual time signatures aplenty. Murder of the Universe Narrative/concept album comprising of three distinct “chapters”, with spoken word passages and longform arrangements. Increased use of synths. Though divided into shorter tracks, each chapter runs seamlessly and the individual tracks generally work as variations on themes rather than standalone songs - they could just as easily be three approx. 15 minute “epics”. Sketches of Brunswick East Meandering, jazzy psychedelia (very reminiscent of early Canterbury, IMO) with tracks generally bleeding from one to the next, giving a sense of cohesion. Another concept album {their second this year and their sixth overall). Polygondwanaland POLYRHYTHMS GALORE. Seriously, find me a single 4/4 passage in the entire thing! It’s arguably their most diverse record in terms of instrumentation/tone - plenty of flute, acoustic guitar and synths - ebbing and flowing between heavy and more acoustic passages. Pretty much no hint of that early “blues rock” sound is present on this one. Again, though divided into 10 tracks, it’s really four 10+ minute pieces (the last 3 comprising of 3 movements each, with plenty of reprises and reworkings of earlier themes as the songs progress). Also the closing track is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTZ6pBwCfYY" rel="nofollow - pure Gong . So yeah, you can literally exclude everything they’ve put out prior to this year if you want (not that you should IMO), and you’re still left with four albums by a band showing a clear determination to experiment freely with rock, pushing their own sound in new and unusual directions, whilst also paying clear homage to “traditional” aspects of progressive rock such as narrative concept albums, longform composition, atypical instrumentation and complex rhythms. Personally, I would have said that’s more than enough to earn them a place on this website, but it’s not my decision to make. Sincere thanks to anyone mad enough to take the time to read this absurdly long post. Peace and love to you all. |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: November 27 2017 at 05:42
| hey David, I didn't mean to be mean, sorry. I just feel being a non-regular visitor here gives me some perspective, you know, maybe I'm wrong. And when I compare Gizzos to other current bands I hear it's impossible not to see how fresh and unique they are - yep, same old "prog vs progressive" thing - especially when compared to stale and stagnate "vintage prog" bands of today. Don't be mad, it's just an opinion) |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 27 2017 at 05:54
Yeah let's call a truce. We both love this band after all  In all honesty; I too get a little tired of the same ol formula being dished out each year which is why I tend to throw my nets a lot wider than just PA. I suspect you do the same. My apologies if I sounded a little off-kilter yesterday but my fuse is rather short these days. I did mean what I said but I guess I could've said it a little differently  On another note (let's get back on track): are there any more Gizzard albums on the horizon? Or are they going on tour? Man I'd love to see these guys live! ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: David64T
Date Posted: November 27 2017 at 15:47
I believe they're touring Oz at the moment includin Adelaide soon this Friday. Fb page says they will be at O2 Brixton on 22 Feb next year ------------- Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: https://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/" rel="nofollow - http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/ |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: November 27 2017 at 16:30
oh yes, throwing a wider net always helps
They're touring EU in March and judging from YouTube live videos they KILLING it live, but I wonder what they're gonna play...I really love Nonagon and Banana, but they've literally released like THREE albums after those two Tracks like "Robot Rock" and "Rattlesnake" are probably old tired hits in their book already!
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Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: November 28 2017 at 04:04
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Goodie Yet another new album and then a European tour. As long as they make their way to Denmark I'll be a happy bunny. I do feel for the band though because they have effectively written off summer. Aussie summer swapped for European winter  Remember the thermal g-string boys! ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: progoma
Date Posted: January 23 2018 at 09:14
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I just came here to show my support towards including King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard here on PA. It's a great band with a unique sound, incorporating many prog elements in their music. If you ask me, this is the type of modern band that is truly progressive. I also agree with basically everything 'The Hemulen' said in his post. |
Posted By: David64T
Date Posted: January 23 2018 at 15:27
The way our Australian Summer is panning out, with whart seems like rolling heatwaves, a trip to Europe right now would seem to be a brilliant idea... ------------- Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: https://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/" rel="nofollow - http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/ |
Posted By: mlkpad14
Date Posted: January 23 2018 at 16:45
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Great band, but personally, I don't think that they belong here, at all really. ------------- https://gamecrazyprofessional.weebly.com/ |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: January 30 2018 at 08:08
Yeah I've heard about that. Right this minute it honestly sounds a little enticing, but then again that's coming from a Dane looking out into the rain. No winter here whatsoever though. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: zzchrisp
Date Posted: February 05 2018 at 06:46
| I have followed ProgArchives for years. Registering now to support King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Fully endorse many of the comments for recognition. For me and undoubtedly others, to research this music on ProgArchives once it has been critiqued and scored by the many excellent reviewers and collaborators will be a pleasure to behold. Even if it ends up in Prog-Related - it will still allow music seekers to delve into a trusted resource and explore the world of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. |