King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Infest The Rats' Nest (Red & Black LP Vinyl)
Review
Infest the Rats' Nest is the 15th studio album since 2012 from Australia's resident psych-rock weirdos King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Let that sink in: 15 albums in 7 years. It's hard to name a band with more experimental, restlessly creative energy—and the drive to commit so much of it to the studio. It should come as no surprise that Infest the Rats' Nest may be King Gizz's most out-there album yet—but not for their usual oddball time-signatures or esoteric instruments. Rats' Nest is a down and dirty heavy-metal record. And it is heavy as hell. With "Planet B," the album opens on a punishing double-bass drum run before a Ride the Lightning-era riff lands like a hammer. Metallica, Slayer, Judas Priest and Megadeth are all over this bad boy. Coming from a band best known for lengthy, knotty, prog-psych workouts, the bare and blistering, straightforward power of these nine tracks proves an undeniable, giddily fun experiment. Part of that rawness is personnel—Rats' Nest was recorded by just a trio of the band's usual seven members. That it's still credited as a King Gizz album, though, shows a band untethered by expectations, refreshingly detached from image. Tracks like "Organ Farmer," "Venusian 2" and "Self-Immolate" are wall-to-wall riffs blasted forward by explosive, how'd-he-do-it drumming. And "Perihelion" packs in a spooky, gothic, Black Sabbath touch to the mix. Though Rats' Nest is a major left turn sonically, as an experiment, it's a fiery success. 15 albums in, and this band is clearly just getting started.
— Justin Jacobs, Relix
Product Details
Melbourne's most relentless shapeshifters had already put out a funky, laidback record earlier that same year before pivoting hard into Slayer territory, which tells you everything you need to know about King Gizzard's refusal to be pinned down. Infest The Rats' Nest channels classic thrash and heavy metal through the band's distinctly psychedelic lens, with climate collapse and environmental dread running through its lyrical core. This red and black pressing suits the material perfectly.
King Gizzard are back with their 2nd album release of 2019, entitled Infest the Rats Nest, coming 8/16 via ATO Records! In complete contrast to the laid back, feel good vibes of Fishing for Fishies, Infest the Rats Nest is a full on thrash metal inspired assault and one of the most complex records the band has made in their extensive discography, their 15th album and counting! All album details below and attached along with the videos for the first three single releases “Planet B”, “Self Immolate” and “Organ Farmer”
In the words of Stu Mackenzie from the band: “In year 4 there was an older kid who was into Rammstein. I made friends with him and we put together a performance at our school assembly where we headbanged to ‘Du Hast.’ I got whiplash, which I thought was pretty cool. That was my introduction to heavy metal, and soon Rammstein led to Metallica, Metallica led to Slayer, Slayer led to Kreator and Sodom. The German bands really kicked my ass and scared the hell out of me too. Later on, when I picked up a guitar I realised that shit was too hard to play, so I got into rock ‘n’ roll and garage. That was liberating.”
Tracklist
Side A
Side B
UPC: 880882367213
Label: ATO Records
Release Date: 8.16.19
Format: LP Vinyl