King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation (2023), 2/10

As an experiment within the context of Gizz’s discography this record can be seen as successful; beyond the vacuum and in the context of thrash in the bigger picture, it is underwhelming and unimportant. The vocals are poor and unappealing as is the battering ram approach to rhythm and percussion, creating an uphill battle that is quickly thrown into disrepair. Some songs drag on and on, eventually feeling like being beaten you into anguished submission. The end of the album creates a gratefulness that can only be described as relief, it is easy to become exhausted by the entire affair. The heavy metal they are drawing inspiration from is already an aesthetically controversial subject, but this recording does not transcend the sound in process or tone, only in overly pristine production and in individual, distinctive qualities of the band itself. It’s heavy, jammy and complex, filled with flawless performances, yet has an impressively unmoving quality from beginning to end. Great for fans of KGLW, otherwise it is best left alone, for the album exists as a hyper-focused experiment in rapid fire thrash.