Echo Mandala · Guides
King Gizzard: five albums with very different characters
The catalogue is huge; your first listen can be simple. Pick the rough guitars, the acoustic songs or the relentless loop, and leave the rest for another day.
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Opening the King Gizzard catalogue can feel like arriving late to a conversation in which everyone already has three favourite albums. The sheer number of records is exciting until it becomes a reason to put off playing one. Let’s make the choice smaller.
Our first pick is I’m In Your Mind Fuzz. It gives you a good dose of the band’s restless energy, with space to ease off too. But if noisy guitars are the last thing you want tonight, Paper Mâché Dream Balloon is sitting right there. These five records cover very different moods. Choose the one that sounds like a good idea today.
Start here
Play Cellophane if you want rough guitars and momentum. Play Sense if you want an acoustic song. For the full headlong rush, start Nonagon Infinity at Robot Stop and turn shuffle off. That album is much more fun when it gets to keep running.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard · 2014
I’m In Your Mind Fuzz: start with the rough edges
I’m In Your Mind Fuzz
First track: Cellophane
Cellophane gets to the attraction quickly: insistent guitars, a restless feel, and enough grit to keep things from sounding too tidy. If it clicks, go back to I’m In Your Mind and play the opening four tracks together. Let the momentum build.
Slow Jam 1 is worth your time afterwards. The less hurried pace changes the feel of the album, and makes this a warmer introduction than a quick blast of the opening songs might suggest. This is where we would start a friend who likes guitar music but has never quite got around to Gizzard.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard · 2016
Nonagon Infinity: when stopping feels like the wrong idea
Nonagon Infinity
First track: Robot Stop
The band presents Nonagon Infinity as an endless loop. Robot Stop is the obvious starting point, and album repeat is worth leaving on: the running order is part of the fun. It is a good choice when you want a record to carry you along with very little room to settle.
Gamma Knife is a useful shorter taste. But the bigger attraction is the sustained rush of the album, with each track giving the next a shove. If that feels exhausting today, save it. There are gentler ways into this band.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard · 2015
Paper Mâché Dream Balloon: a softer sound, with odd corners
Paper Mâché Dream Balloon
First track: Sense
Sense is the choice for a quieter first encounter. Stu Mackenzie’s album notes describe putting electric instruments aside for acoustic guitars, flute, double bass and other instruments. That change gives you something quite different to hold on to.
Try Trapdoor next. A gentler set of instruments leaves plenty of room for the band’s eccentricity. We like this record beside Nonagon Infinity precisely because the contrast is so large: the same catalogue can accommodate both a furious loop and a collection of short acoustic songs.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard · 2017
Flying Microtonal Banana: follow the repetition
Flying Microtonal Banana
First track: Rattlesnake
Rattlesnake makes an insistent introduction. The repetition is the attraction if you like a groove that stays put long enough to get under your skin. If it becomes too much, move to Sleep Drifter or Nuclear Fusion; there is more than one mood here.
The word microtonal can make the album sound like something you need to prepare for. Start with a song instead. You can read about the tuning later, once a particular sound has made you curious enough to want an explanation.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard · 2017
Polygondwanaland: for the pleasure of following the turns
Polygondwanaland
First track: Crumbling Castle
Crumbling Castle is a generous first helping if you enjoy a long track with plenty to follow. Give it some attention, then come back if a passage sticks with you. There is no need to untangle every turn on the first play.
Another good starting point is the run of Inner Cell, Loyalty and Horology. Keep it in order. The way one song draws you towards the next is a reason to spend time with the album, especially if you have already enjoyed the more direct pull of Mind Fuzz.
How we chose
The sequence and listening suggestions are Echo Mandala’s editorial choices. Release years and track names are checked against the linked artist and label pages.
Before you listen
Is I’m In Your Mind Fuzz always the best first choice?
It is our first recommendation for someone who wants a guitar record. If acoustic songs sound more inviting, choose Paper Mâché Dream Balloon. A recommendation works best when it takes your mood seriously; the record you want to replay is the one to follow.
What should I do if I dislike the first album?
Try a different side of the band before giving up. Sense after Robot Stop is a much bigger change than moving to another fast guitar song. You may find one corner of the catalogue you love and leave several others alone. With Gizzard, that is a perfectly workable relationship.
Where to go next
Pick one album and give yourself a chance to get attached to it before chasing the rest. When you want a second, choose a contrast: Paper Mâché after Nonagon, or Polygondwanaland after Mind Fuzz. The catalogue will still be there tomorrow. Today, one song worth replaying would be a good result.
