King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse... (Album Review)
Monday, 26 June 2023
Written by Tom Morgan
It’s best to think of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s mammoth discography in terms of genre experiments. Their more tonally-rigid collections tend to be the Melbourne band’s best, while their most genre-fluid albums (eg. 2022’s gigantic 'Omnium Gatherum') are their most scattershot and tiring.
‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation’ sees King Gizzard return to more focused (and therefore more sure-footed) ground.
It’s another thrash/prog-metal album, an approach the six-piece first explored on 2019’s ‘Infest The Rat’s Nest’. Given that King Gizzard are as equally adept at jazz-funk and folk-rock, their take on thrash is never especially abrasive.
Tracks such as the bouncy Gilla Monster and the catchy Witchcraft are super accessible, overflowing with a sense of glee that will appeal to their fanbase more than it will to ardent metalheads.
‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse…’ is, however, a more confident attempt at slipping into the metal realm than its 2019 predecessor. Several tracks hover around the nine minute mark and explore some engrossing shred sections, particularly during opener Motor Spirit and its long, Tool-esque breakdown.
King Gizzard's drummer Michael Cavanagh emerges as the star of the show here. His polyrhythms on Motor Spirit, complex double kick beats on Flamethrower and general stamina are consistently impressive across the LP’s many indulgences. King Gizzard’s 24th album is unlikely to convert many of the band’s skeptics, but for the rest of us it’s an endlessly fun summer metal album.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Sat September 02 2023 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy
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