King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 10 Best Songs
The post King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 10 Best Songs appeared first on Consequence.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are nothing if not eclectic, as their ever-changing creative palette evokes everyone from Can and Frank Zappa to P.M. Dawn and Slayer. Having released nearly two dozen studio LPs since forming in 2010, they’re also one of the most prolific acts of all time.
In fact, they’re set to release their latest record — Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava — on Friday, October 7th (less than six months after its superb precursor, Omnium Gatherum, came out).
There’s no better time, then, to dig through their catalog to see which songs rank amongst their best.
Here are King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s greatest tracks of all time; scroll to the end for a playlist of all 10 songs.
10. “The River”
Quarters! (2015)
Like all of Quarters!, “The River” is meant to showcase their mellower side. Indeed, its blend of psychedelic pop and laid-back jazz rock delightfully amalgamates aspects of The Grateful Dead, Love, Dave Brubeck, and Santana. Its melodies are soothing, and its arrangement is purposefully repetitious yet sophisticatedly malleable, illustrating the band’s ability to infuse a healthy amount of exploration into a fairly rigid retro template. It’s a great entry point.
09. “Head On/Pill”
Float Along – Fill Your Lungs (2014)
It’s among the band’s best uses of a lengthy track duration, as its 16-minute runtime is full of fuzzy late ‘60s psychedelic magic. By implementing a wider array of time signatures and instruments (such as sitars and synthesizers), it saw them moving away from the Western garage rock of Eyes Like the Sky. Ultimately, “Head On/Pill” is a towering sonic journey (and album-opener) you can’t help but get lost in.
08. “Hell”
Infest the Rats’ Nest (2019)
Infest the Rats’ Nest’s thrash/stoner metal base represented another startling stylistic shift for the group (especially since it arrived only four months after the bluesy Fishing for Fishies). Finale “Hell” is the best of the bunch, with its dark lyricism matching its dynamically dark sounds at every turn. While its inspirations (Exodus, Sodom, and Kreator, among others) aren’t surprising, the fact that King Gizzard totally nail it is quite commendable.
07. “The Lord of Lightning”
Murder of the Universe (2017)
Taken from the “Chapter 2: The Lord of Lightning vs. Balrog” segment of the LP, “The Lord of Lightning” is an epically apocalyptic slice of heavy/prog metal. Equal parts Black Sabbath, Ghost, and Voivod, it’s a spaced-out gothic battle whose frenzied changeups and foreboding verses are cleverly offset by folk singer/songwriter Leah Senior’s softspoken narration. At once chaotic and cinematic, it brilliantly exemplifies the troupe’s prowess as musicians and storytellers.
06. “Gamma Knife”
Nonagon Infinity (2016)
It’s a major reason for why many fans consider Nonagon Infinity to be King Gizzard’s best record. With its feisty momentum, trippy timbres, and raucous yet welcoming vocals, “Gamma Knife” strikes a fine balance between catchy accessibility and uninhibited trickiness. The multilayered multicultural breakdown near the end is downright hypnotic, too, bolstering the track as a classic not only for the band but for psychedelic garage rock as a whole.
05. “Evilest Man”
Omnium Gatherum (2022)
Here, the group mixes their trademark cosmic fuzziness with the ‘70s soul and R&B of, say, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield. As usual, it’s a wonderful combination, with its smooth singing perfectly complementing odd rhythms and calming keys. Of course, that core vibe is pleasantly counterbalanced by a lot of hectic jamming and bizarre sound effects, and its allusion to “Cyboogie” (from Fishing for Fishies) is a really cool touch.
04. “Am I in Heaven?”
I’m In Your Mind Fuzz (2014)
With its acoustic guitar strums, easygoing vocals and bursts of harmonica, the prelude evokes 1960s Bob Dylan. Afterward, it slyly becomes a sort of Southern/blues rock freakout. The distortion on frontman Stu Mackenzie’s voice adds to its colorfully boisterous intoxication, and the midway detour — into a folksy reflection with flutes — is ingenious. Honestly, it’s both fun and a little nightmarish, with a level of playful uneasiness that’s impossible to resist.
03. “Her and I (Slow Jam 2)”
I’m In Your Mind Fuzz (2014)
Another standout from I’m In Your Mind Fuzz, closer “Her and I (Slow Jam 2)” builds upon “Slow Jam 1” — from the same LP — with more laidback introspection and instrumentation. There’s also some 1970s funk and 1950s rock ‘n’ roll strewn throughout, and lyrically, it’s among King Gizzard’s most poetically rich compositions (“I’ll fill her heart with a lot of love/ So the sun can shine a little brighter”).
02. “Crumbling Castle”
Polygondwanaland (2017)
Its unusual rhythms and inventive counterpoints instantly showcase why “Crumbling Castle” is another stunning album-starter. It only gets better from there, erupting into a psychedelic feast of thunderous percussion, punchy guitar licks, and seductive melodies. The repetition of the title in the lyrics gives it great continuity and weightiness, too, as does the constantly evolving arrangement. Plus, its heartrending woodwind transitions serve as the icing on an already awe-inspiring cake.
01. “People-Vultures”
Nonagon Infinity (2016)
This is likely the quintessential King Gizzard track. From its ominously symphonic introduction to its unruly, Deep Purpose-esque macabre foundation, it’s thoroughly enthralling. The drums and guitarwork stampede with resourceful tenacity; meanwhile, intergalactic keyboard swirls and graphic verses (“People-vultures waiting to begin/ Deadly ulcers feeding on my skin”) make it even more captivatingly enigmatic. Gutsy, imaginative, and complex, “People-Vultures” is essentially everything a fan could want from the band.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 10 Best Songs Playlist:
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 10 Best Songs
Jordan Blum
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