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Jul 07, 2020 Web Exclusive By Ben Jardine

What’s next from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard? Oh, just another in a series of live albums released in 2020. After three January live records (with proceeds going to Australian bushfire relief), this fourth one, Chunky Shrapnel, tells a different story. The album seamlessly pieces together European shows from their 2019 Infest the Rat’s Nest and Fishing for Fishies tour to create one head-bobbing, foot-stomping retrospective look at the band’s extensive psych-rock discography.

Accompanied by a feature-length concert film, Chunky Shrapnel is the most comprehensive artistic effort from the Melbourne seven-piece to date. The film and album setlist take the audience on a sonic, geographic adventure: dipping into the band’s shows from Madrid, Utrecht, London, Milan—plus many more—the tracks run the gamut of the band’s most renowned material. In addition to their 2019 releases, the listener recognizes tracks from 2016’s Nonagon Infinity and a handful of their five 2017 albums—notably the jazzy Polygondwanaland and the narrative album Murder of the Universe, from which the titular track gave the album its name.

Highlights include the sharp transition of “The River” into “Wah Wah”; ambient interludes “Quarantine” and “Anamnesis”; and the 19-minute long epic medley, “A Brief History of Planet Earth,” which features members from Stonefield and ORB—bands who supported King Gizz on their tour.

In a time when staying at home is a necessity, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are there to keep you company. And in the face of the uncertain future of live performance, there’s no better band to immerse you in a virtual concert experience than these guys. (www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com)

Author rating: 8.5/10