Unleashing their twenty-fourth(!) album, the band redefine boundaries and embark upon a hellish journey of fantasy and fury.

‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse’, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s new double LP, showcases their undeniable skill via unwavering passion for thrash metal. As their twenty-fourth album, it exemplifies the band’s growth and their continual ability to push boundaries while staying true to their distinct style.

Two years ago, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard delved into the realm of thrash metal with their concept album, ‘Infest The Rats’ Nest’. This exploration allowed them to collectively connect with their inner metalhead and create an album that deeply resonated with fans and achieved critical acclaim.  Stu Mackenzie, the frontman of King Gizzard, reflected, “When we made Rats’ Nest, it felt experimental. Like, ‘Here’s this music that some of us grew up on but we’d never had the guts or confidence to really play before, so let’s give it a go and see what happens’. And when we made that album we were like, ‘Fuck, why did it take us so long to do this?’ It’s just so much fun to play that music, and those songs work so well when we play them live… We always had it in our minds to make another metal record.”

‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse’ follows in the footsteps of its predecessor but ventures into new territories, refusing to be a mere repetition of past glory and blossoming into its own form of metallic fantasy. The core trio of Mackenzie, Joey Walker, and Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh approached this project with a fresh perspective. They adopted a radically different writing process, starting from scratch and crafting each song through daily jam sessions. Mackenzie had a clear vision of the story the songs would tell, dividing tracks among seven segments which serve as the album’s foundation.

As the title suggests, ‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse’ draws inspiration from fantasy lore. It begins in the real world with ‘Motor Spirit’ and ‘Supercell’ addressing the toxic wastes caused by the human race’s addiction to petroleum but quickly plunges into a magical but hellish realm. On ‘Witchcraft’ and ‘Gila Monster’, for example, they summon a mythical reptilian beast to tear the world of consumption from its self-destructive cycle. The lyrics carry a blend of surface-level fun and profound depth, with inspirations for the tone coming from biblical and literary scriptures. The album possesses a second voice to Mackenzie’s, which speaks in words from centuries ago, adding a theatrical and dramatic element to the overall narrative.

Musically, ‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse’ showcases King Gizzard’s finest thrash riffs to date. The razor-sharp, prog-influenced sound pays homage to the genre’s late-’80s apex, resulting in a complex and intensely powerful sonic experience. Opening track, ‘Motor Spirit’, establishes the album’s tone with a heavy and sluggish sound, while the striking lead guitar line stands out against the low-tuned accompaniment. The verses exude a punkish energy reminiscent of Motörhead, with occasional Eastern references embellishing the guitar. Even during slower moments, a sense of foreboding persists, and the tom-focused drumming creates a meditative and ritualistic atmosphere. Its gradual deceleration builds in intensity, leading to a section that embodies the characteristics of sludge metal. The final minute of the song makes a powerful impact, featuring cascading drums and crushing walls of guitar, contrasted with anxious and higher-pitched arpeggios.

The album is a start-to-finish powerhouse, but it reaches an apex in the 10-minute ‘Dragon’,  a whirlwind of metal riffs and oppressive drums. The song begins with a rapid descending melody, exuding a lively and energetic quality intertwined with a dark undertone. After a couple of minutes, it provides a moment of respite with a simpler composition and softly murmured vocals. Then the band begin to reintroduce elements, gradually intensifying the music into a forceful and swirling tempest. As the song approaches its peak, the primary guitar line ascends, creating a contrast to the initial theme. Even so, an eerie sense of impending misfortune persists.

The album concludes with (vinyl exclusive) ‘Dawn of the Eternal Night’, a 15-minute spoken word audiobook narrated by Leah Senior, who previously contributed her vocal talents to their album Murder Of The Universe’. This addition adds further depth to the lore for fans of the Gizzverse (a metanarrative linking of the many albums into an ongoing story featuring cyborgs, rattlesnakes, tetrachromats, trapdoors, gators, fishies, and garden goblins). Building on years of creative writing and world-building it will be interesting to see how this chapter fits into the already wildly complex soap opera of characters and themes.

Interestingly, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have already begun working on their next album, which follows a similar creative process. However, they have expressed a desire to return to a more traditional approach of writing songs before entering the studio. As they continue to evolve as artists, one can expect a captivating blend of their experimental roots and a more structured songwriting style in their future releases.

‘PetroDragonic Apocalypse’ is a testament to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s unwavering creativity and their dedication to exploring new musical territories. It reinforces their position as a force to be reckoned with even in the world of thrash metal and leaves fans eagerly anticipating what lies ahead for this madly inventive group.