by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Released April 22, 2022 via KGLW
Reviewed May 2, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
The Dripping Tap (65%), Magenta Mountain (29%), Kepler-22b (27%)
Omnium Gatherum marks the 20th album that King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have put out. With such an expansive catalog, each subsequent release either comes with a whole new dimension to the band, or adds little to the discussion of their legacy. Omnium Gatherum falls into the latter, but not because of any real faults—rather because it exists as another mark of consistency for King Gizz. The Australian six-piece are as versatile as any, and their forays into trash metal, jazz-rock, the world of microtonal tuning are a testament to that. But there is little to no doubt that the group is most at home within the psychedelic realm. Omnium Gatherum takes the occasional detour on tracks like “Predator X”—a thrash metal cut that could have easily sat comfortably on 2019’s Infest the Rats’ Nest—but it primarily resides in a lingering space between groovy psychedelic pop and riveting psych-rock. Similarly, the band’s songwriting traverses familiar grounds without feeling repetitive; environmentalism peaks through, political themes make an appearance, and so do glimpses of spirituality. Omnium Gatherum might not be THE definitive King Gizz record, but it is yet another shining example of their never-ending work ethic and ability to build upon their sound time after time. – Dominick (8/10)
King Gizzard, the multi-talented and multi-faceted music collective have sat at the forefront of the rock world in their prolific state for around a decade now. Still, any signs of slowing down are yet to show; their foundations foster no cracks. Covering as much ground as possible at a rapacious rate, The King Gizzard trail leaves no room for what ifs. Wondering whether the band are capable of certain feats has become a non-existent equation. The simple answer: Yes, they are. How the wheel of momentum remains in spin is the real question. Despite chopping and changing style on a near track-by-track basis, Omnium Gatherum and its 80 minute runtime never feels incoherent; the flow and feel of the album never suffers from change in direction. King Gizzard adds yet another endlessly creative record to their ever-growing discography. – Peter (8/10)
Cam: 8.3/10 | Dominick: 8/10 | Peter: 8/10 | DeVán: 7.8/10 | Jared: 7/10
