“Head of a jackal and tail of a snake
Slithers and slinks through the desert, awake
Gorges on moonbeams and bathes in the quantum foam
Unchallenged in the infinite unknown.”
KGLW – Set – The Silver Cord (2023)
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You would think that after 25 albums released over the course of a decade, a band would start to lose their focus and mojo, run out of musical tricks and lyrical depth, only to tread the same tired ground over and over again. And typically this would be the case if there were any bands who had put out 25 albums in 10 years besides King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
On their 25th release, The Silver Cord, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard manage to once again take things in new and inventive directions, exploring various musical terrains with an inexplicable mastery of form and function. Surely they’ve sold their souls to the devil, or made a deal with a witch under a haunted tree, in order to obtain such endless creative output? That’s the only answer!
This six piece group from Australia (Aboriginal magic?) continually brings something new to the table, be it through folk, stoner rock, psychedelic fusion, jam band, doom metal, jazz, blues, surf, electronica, synth pop, hip hop, or jungle boogie. The music is a perfect soundtrack for a movie, video game, or night of playing Dungeons and Dragons (I mean that in a complimentary way).
I’ll be damned if I don’t get a hint of industrial polka (!) off of the track Swan Song, from the latest album, and an overall sense of metaphysical mischief. The Silver Cord is a Biblical reference, and a long standing ideal of mystical relevance; a tether which unites mortals to the heavens, connecting us to our astral form. The band regularly skirts many lyrical themes, including horror, fantasy and sci-fi.
If you’re not familiar with KGLW, to give you an example of their trickster antics, the new release is a double album. The first disc is 7 songs at 28 minutes, while the 2nd disc consists of the same 7 songs extended, running at 88 minutes. The album offers two completely different listening experiences depending on which version you prefer. The extended version is a hyper synth dreamscape.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of EVERY record from this group, but there’s a little something there for everyone, and I would definitely rate The Silver Cord among one of my overall favorite releases. The album is very high energy and tonally optimistic, yet also has a darker psychedelic underbelly. We even get a hint at electronica / dance music and dub step, inviting us to a private rave.
Before we go any further, please allow me to point new listeners to my Top 7 Favorite albums from the band so far, which have been on heavy rotation in recent years. I’m in no way an expert, and it has been impossible to give all 25 albums they attention they might deserve. Likewise, my favorites might be another fan’s least favorites, and that’s one of the cool things about this band: They defy conventions.
7) Nonagon Infinity – 2016: For all intents and purposes this is the “breakthrough album” and a good starting point for new comers. It kicks off strong and punchy, hitting the listener right in their ear holes with the first notes, not letting up until the final track. The album that really put KGLW on the map, in any kind of mainstream capacity, internationally.
6) Flying Microtonal Banana – 2017: The band’s follow up proved to be even more polished and focused, as they explored new terrain and really found their exploratory groove, while not taking itself too seriously. That’s one thing to remember going forward, it can poke a little fun at itself as well as the exploration of genres at its disposal. It’s a band having fun inventing new sounds and telling stories.
5) Murder of the Universe – 2017: Sorry to cheat, but this album is tied with Infest the Rats’ Nest from 2019. Here we are introduced to the doom metal and stoner rock aspect of KGLW, with heavier music, growling vocals and darker themes. Murder of the Universe was a definite departure and reinvention for the band, and an element and theme in which they would blend and incorporate for future releases.
4) Polygondwanaland – 2017: Yet another sharp creative turn, as this album hearkens more to classic 70’s folk rock and psychedelic jam band elements, with longer pieces drifting into acoustic fantasy dream sequences. As with their entire discography, it’s really hard to pigeon hole or define this band as representing any singular element, as the albums don’t confine themselves to one specific category.
3) LW – 2021: What I would consider the most “mainstream” sounding album, LW pushes the band into new areas of radio-pop-rock and dance music, merged with a strange blend of eastern mysticism and psychedelia. The tonal and thematic balance of this album is masterfully mixed down, and several of these songs should have gained mass radio play.
2) Omnium Gatherum – 2022: Here we have a very strange mixture of 70’s fantasy rock psychedelia, crossed with the band’s first fore into rap and hip hop elements. The merger proved successful, and gave them yet another tool in their musical arsenal. Not only can they hold down convincing doom metal vocals, but have now added rapping to their repertoire.
1) PetroDragonic Apocalypse – 2023: The album represents a potent evolution to the previous “doom metal” releases (see above). Here we get sense of a band summoning up Cthulhu (do yourself a favor and go check out their official video for the track Gila Monster). King Gizzard went full on Druid for this one, calling forth elder gods from the deepest realms of unspeakable terror. And I, for one, thank them for it.
As stated, on The Silver Cord the band continues to evolve and provide unexpected surprises, pushing boundaries and challenging the mainstream status quo. They’re one of the most prolific, diverse and musically entertaining “best kept secrets” these days, and are considered one of the hardest working bands of this generation, having played 113 live shows between 2018 to 2019. If you’re interested in the live show, check out the album Live in San Francisco from 2020.
And hey, if this album isn’t to your liking, chances are they’ll have another release before the year is up. And if you’re a collector of vinyl, don’t get me started, as the band has dozens and dozens of records out there, with endless variant covers and pressings. They truly embody the DIY attitude. So, let’s celebrate the 25th album of this fiercely underground band, and cheers to 25 more!
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Michael A. Dyer is the host of the HORROR TO CULTURE podcast and website.
