Based on their name alone, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard sound like they don’t take themselves very seriously, but that could not be further from the truth. Formed in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, King Gizzard haven’t stopped putting out albums, and Nonagon Infinity is band’s eighth full-length album in that short six-year span.
The band describes Nonagon Infinity as “the world’s first infinitely playing album,” and while this might not necessarily be true, King Gizzard expertly created a cohesive album, both within itself and within the rest of their discography. Classic King Gizzard elements are obvious like extended psych and blues jams, tasteful harmonica solos, whistles, and a showcase of each of its seven members.
Each song seamlessly transitions from one to the next and overarching themes are present throughout its entirety. This inherently makes Nonagon Infinity an album, rather than just a collection of singles. “Mr. Beat” is one of the lighter, less jammy songs that acts as somewhat of a palate cleanser in the midst of a heavy psych concept album. “Evil Death Roll” is the longest, most conceptual song that ties together the sonic and lyrical themes of the first and second halves of the album.
“Gamma Knife” is quite arguably the best song on Nonagon Infinity due to its indulgences in the psych jams that King Gizzard so obviously wants without becoming monotonous. It’s just plain catchy. “People Vultures” is also a standout on the album; it’s one of the heaviest songs and has one of the best solos on any King Gizzard song heard to date.
King Gizzard definitely took a detour from their brand of blues psych on the last record, Paper Mache Dream Balloon, but they got back on track for Nonagon Infinity and have consequently released a contender for one of the best albums of the year.
Recommended If You Like: Thee Oh Sees, Led Zeppelin, Fuzz, King Tuff
Recommended Tracks: 3 (Gamma Knife), 4 (People Vultures), 9 (Road Train), 6, (Evil Death Roll), 5 (Mr. Beat)
Do Not Play: 1 (Robot Stop)
Written by Caroline Roe on 05/04/16