King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe
Released June 23rd, 2017
The Australian septet King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are back with album two (tenth album overall) of the five promised for release this year, Murder of the Universe. They’ve always been a bit on the odd side, but this year the guys have upped their game, taking things to a dark and twisted land worthy of Tolkien. The tracks are campy, angry and a bit bizarre jumping from one genre to the next in the blink of an eye. “Vomit Coffin” (a personal favorite track for its absurdity) flirts with heavy metal, garage, psych and even a bit of glam. It’s a mess, but what a glorious mess it is. If one genres not for you, it doesn’t matter, just give it a few seconds and they’ll be off onto something completely different. Murder of the Universe is an intense journey, an epic high fantasy tale told hurriedly through 21 tracks in less than three-quarters of an hour. An ambitious project, King Gizzard succeed into enticing you into fully absorbing yourself into their wild, bizarre universe. Gizzard thrives on gimmicks. They’ve built their whole carrier on them brilliantly, layering their albums with Easter eggs, fiendish puzzles, and cartoon absurdity. Murder Of The Universe is another worthy addition to King Gizzard’s ever-expanding discography.
4 of 5 stars
