Split Record Review: ‘Nonagon Infinity’ 

Here we go again with another edition of the “Split Record Review,” where two writers duke it out and review the same album. This time, Henry and James are covering the 2016 classic “Nonagon Infinity” by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard! Henry has praised the Australian rockers in the past and is a huge fan of them, while James has heard a song from them here and there, enjoying their rap-tinged cuts reminiscent of Edan and their more well-known tracks like “Sense.” What do these writers surmise about the project today? 

Henry’s Review:  

At a time when many would consider the genre of rock “dead,” the Aussie sextet King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard appeared from the land down under to put those rumors to rest. Embracing the DIY lifestyle, they carved their own path to success, garnering a cult following reminiscent of bands from a time gone by. Their fervent fanbase, affectionately labeled the “weirdo swarm,” eagerly await their next leap. 

The band have built a name for themselves as fearless genre benders, dabbling in psychedelic rock, krautrock, microtonal music, progressive rock, thrash metal, synthpop and EDM. They’ve released nearly 30 albums in just 12 years, and their prolific output has launched their name into the indie rock world. 

Arguably the band’s first record to make it “big” was 2016’s “Nonagon Infinity.” A 40-minute bash of high energy psychedelic rock, each song blends into one another, taking the listener on a whiplash-inducing ride. While the album is technically just over 40 minutes long, it loops back into itself, creating an infinite loop — hence the name.  

For a band that can be intimidating to get into, “Nonagon Infinity” cemented the hallmarks of King Gizzard’s schtick. Filled to the brim with ad-libbed “woos” and assorted shouts, blown-out guitars and prominent harmonica. The record also showcases the group’s ability to shift into complex meter, featuring songs in 5/4, 7/4 and 7/8. 

The first half of the album stands out as the strongest, with each subsequent song featuring more and more infectious melodies and tight grooves. “Gamma Knife” and “People Vultures” are built off singular riffs that repeat throughout the song, with different tracks calling back to previous melodies heard throughout previous songs, or even previous and future albums. 

The lyricism throughout the record is grounded in fantasy, singing wildly about mythical beings fighting (like in “Big Fig Wasp” or “Wah Wah”) or providing foundation for the band’s extended universe of characters, dubbed by fans as the “Gizzverse.” Ideas and themes explored in the tracks “Gamma Knife” and “Invisible Face” appear on several of the band’s other albums. 

In the eight years since the release of “Nonagon Infinity,” it’s heralded as one of the most inventive and wildly creative albums in rock and put the band on the map for thousands of fans outside Australia. I could very well be biased, after having seen them five times and owning most of their discography on vinyl, but “Nonagon Infinity” is one of the most memorable albums out of the underground rock scene in the past ten years. 

Rating: 5/5 

James’ Review: 

Out of the two of us, I’m less experienced with “The Gizzard,” but I recognize they’re a band impossible to categorize genre-wise, as the most consistent aspect of their albums is the members themselves. Furthermore, their output is as impressive as it can be, with frontman Stu Mackenzie and his boys churning out music of varied influence at industrial-level speed, somehow outpacing that of the equally insane Los Angeles band Osees (if that’s what they’re called now). I’ve been slowly submerging myself into King Gizz’s discography — until now — since we’re reviewing one of their most acclaimed albums, “Nonagon Infinity.” 

The only song I knew going into this was the second one off the album, “Big Fig Wasp,” which is an exciting track brimming with adrenaline in its own right, yet my knowledge of this song instead of the album’s first song caused me some cognitive dissonance. See, “Nonagon Infinity” is a continuous album, meaning each song transitions into the next, and whether the entire instrumental backing is retained or a simple bit of guitar feedback links one song to another, there is never a moment of silence. What confused me when hearing the introductory track, “Robot Stop,” is that it sounded oddly like “Big Fig Wasp.” Also, I had sworn I heard the lines, “My body’s overworked / It’s just the same I know,” and so on. That’s because each song has a chorus, yet they often repeat choruses from previous songs. In effect, the album has its own chorus. 

While the album cover doesn’t have a dinosaur on it as they did in 2022, “Nonagon Infinity” is one of their more grandiose releases, hence Mackenzie’s authoritative tone on “People-Vultures.” But King Gizz has far more subdued music than what you’ll hear on “Nonagon Infinity,” like the entire album that came before it, “Paper Mache Dream Balloon.” Hints of that softer side come through on “Mr. Beat,” likely not referencing the YouTuber, with many organ parts and a degree of cyclical song structure in the first three minutes that can only be rivaled by The Caretaker.  

The funky “Evil Death Roll” and subsequent “Invisible Face” are two major highlights, culminating in the peak of the almost surf-punk style the boys are going for on this record. The chorus on “Evil Death Roll” flows so well, too; “The night is young — full of sin / Time to slither away again / I can see our history hanging on a knife / So let’s start killing things.” The many references to astronomy on the two tracks are more enjoyable than my class on the subject could ever be. Despite what I’ve been taught, the lyrics of “Invisible Face” claim “the universe is a machine.” I believe it. 

On a technical level, “Nonagon Infinity” is impressive, though I’ll stick to highlighting the stuff I can elaborate on. Repetition is an obvious theme, and the song titles aren’t spared in this regard, either. I enjoy Mackenzie extrapolating everything he can out of the third song’s title, “Gamma Knife,” eventually harmonizing “Nice, knife.” This song also has extra swag in the form of a drum solo by Michael Cavanagh, which I’m going to compare to Bill Ward’s drumming on the first song of Black Sabbath’s  “War Pigs.” A callback like this may be a stretch, but I had to bring up how the final song, “Road Train,” digitally speeds up at the end similarly to what Sabbath does at the end of “War Pigs.” And remember — just keep the album on repeat! 

3.5/5