King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity

Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is described as a ‘sonic mobius strip’ with each song seamlessly transitioning into the next. The opening track Robot Stop makes me jump when it begins. The album is heavier than those before it; psych/doom/metal with flecks of jazz, soul, and even funk rhythms cropping up. The music straddles the psychedelic and the industrial, summed up in the seventh song Invisible Face: “I have awoken from a dream, the universe is a machine”. The wall made up of two drums and three guitars make for a challenging and intense listen; one song is actually called Wah Wah. Different from the last year’s Paper Mache Dream Balloon, the sound is big, yet lacks something in letting loose. Lauren Laverne recently commented, after playing the headbanger of a single Gamma Knife, “what do these guys do in their spare time?” – I think nothing out of the ordinary. The album is impressive and clever, the downbeat of the last song, Road Train¸ a psychobilly trip along the demonic track, links straight back to the upbeat of the first song. Lyrical and musical motifs weave through the album – a metal Brian Wilson, but lacking some of the nuance. This album promises a lot, and despite moments of clarity, gives slightly less.