King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Flight B741
p(doom) Records (2024)
Album overview: It only took them 26 attempts, but King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have finally made an album that clearly follows in the footsteps of Australian rockers AC/DC. Well, not really – but Flight B741 is one of the band’s most straightforward rock records to date. It follows the stylistic detours of last year, the thrash metal eco concept album PetroDragonian Apocalypse; And The Silver Corda progressive electronic album without guitar, released in two different versions (a standard edition and an extended mix).
Music style: The album’s ten songs are rooted in the tradition of ’70s bluesy hard rock, but as usual the band throws plenty of adventurous surprises within that framework. Of course there’s plenty of distorted guitars, manic drumming and melodic bass playing with hints of piano, organ and harmonica. The production has a thick, warm feel that gives the album a primal atmosphere and there seems to be more than the usual amount of shared vocals, which is well demonstrated by the album’s first single, “Le Risque”.
Development of sound: Anyone who has heard more than a few King Gizzard albums knows that the band rarely repeats itself. Nevertheless, there are some echoes of previous projects in Flight B741‘s musical DNA. The closest comparison is Boogie Stomp from 2019’s Fishing for fishbut there are also echoes of the harmony-laden pop catchiness of Paper-maché dream balloon and the multi-layered songwriting of Changes also. The songs on Flight B741 should also be well suited to the more whining style the band has pursued in their live shows in recent years.
Artists with similar fire: If you like classic rock, this is the Gizz album for you. Led Zeppelin, the Stones, the Allman Brothers, T. Rex, ZZ Top and yes, AC/DC are just a few of the bands you could name as possible influences Flight B741. King Gizzard’s approach, however, tends towards a slightly faster tempo and gives the rhythm section punk-level energy.
Key titles: “Mirage City” opens the album on an upbeat, twangy note before heading in a looser, funkier direction with “Antarctica.” It features some of the album’s best solos and the powerful guitar crunch of “Raw Feel.” “Le Risque” is another highlight, a stomping boogie that evokes the spirit of Marc Bolan while nodding to Billy Gibbons. “Sad Pilot” is another bluesy rock song with blistering guitar riffs supporting a surprisingly soulful set of vocal performances, while “Rats in the Sky” and “Daily Blues” close the album with great interplay from the whole band.
Lyrical strength: King Gizzard’s lyrics are always a little obscure, but here the themes are a little more down to earth. There are also clear aviation motifs throughout, which fit with the claymation-style album cover (by Jason Galea, who is a frequent collaborator with us), the music video for “Le Risque” and the title of the album.
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD – REVIEW HISTORY
The Silver Chord (2023) / PetroDragonian Apocalypse (2023) / Changes (2022) / Laminated Denim (2022) / Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava (2022) / Omnium Gatherum (2022) / Butterfly 3000 (2021) / LW (2021) / KG (2020) / Chunky Shrapnel (2020) / Infest the Rat’s Nest (2019) / Fishing for Fish (2019) / Wellington Soup (2017) / Polygondwanaland (2017) / Brunswick East Sketches (2017) / Murder of the Universe (2017) / Flying Microtonal Banana (2017) / Nonagon Infinity (2016) / Paper Mache Dream Balloon (2015) / Quarter (2015) / I’m in your head, Fuzz (2014)
LINKS TO KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD
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